When the Aunty team confirmed that Golden Plains would return in 2023 and locked in dates, it was huge news, with pilgrimages to the Supernatural Amphitheatre finally back on the calendar. Indeed, that was probably all the push you needed to enter the fest's ticket ballot, and start crossing your fingers that you score passes to the beloved sibling to Meredith Music Festival, no matter who ended up on the bill. That online ballot has been extended, now running until 10.15pm AEDT on Monday, October 24. Also, the Golden Plains lineup is now here, too. Bikini Kill, Carly Rae Jepsen, Soul II Soul and Four Tet lead the charge, in what's shaping up to be a huge comeback fest from Saturday, March 11–Monday, March 13, 2023. [caption id="attachment_874299" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Debi Del Grande[/caption] Bikini Kill are playing Mona Foma as well, in what'll be the iconic Kathleen Hanna-fronted, Washington-formed, Riot Grrrl movement-instigating group's first Australian show in more than 25 years. Calling all rebel girls, obviously. If you aren't making the trip to Tasmania in February, you can now see them at Golden Plains in March. Carly Rae Jepsen's inclusion on the bill likely now has 'Call Me Maybe' stuck in your head, but that isn't all that's on the Canadian popstar's discography. And Soul II Soul's spot on the lineup is massive, given the British musical collective have been doing their thing since the late 80s, and also helped change UK club culture. Alongside Four Tet, they're joined by Mdou Moctar, Angel Olsen, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Brian Jackson and more, in what's clearly a gloriously eclectic lineup. Catering to 12,000 punters each year across three days and two nights, Golden Plains has long proven a favourite for its one-stage setup, which skips the need for frantic timetabling. Meredith is also returning, as announced in August, with Caribou, Yothu Yindi and Courtney Barnett leading the lineup from Friday, December 9–Sunday, December 11, 2022. GOLDEN PLAINS 2023 LINEUP: Bikini Kill Four Tet Carly Rae Jepsen Mdou Moctar Soul II Soul Angel Olsen Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Brian Jackson Overmono (live) Earthless Rochelle Jordan Methyl Ethel Kokoroko Andrew Gurruwiwi Band Stiff Richards Armand Hammer Soichi Terada Jennifer Loveless Rick Wilhite Freya Josephine Hollick E Fishpool Mulalo Delivery Golden Plains will return to the Meredith Supernatural Ampitheatre from Saturday, March 11–Monday, March 13, 2023. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 10.15pm AEDT on Monday, October 24. Top image: Theresa Harrison.
How do you start the first-ever WorldPride held in the Southern Hemisphere? With an already-announced opening concert starring none other than Kylie Minogue, of course. How do you farewell the fun when the massive LGBTQIA+ festival is finished taking over Sydney in February and March 2023? The event has just started locking in those plans, too, with MUNA and G Flip headlining closing gig Rainbow Republic. Like the kick-off festivities, this one will take place in The Domain — and indie popsters MUNA will be making their Australian debut when they take to the stage. As for G Flip, the pivotal slot comes after they just played the AFL Grand Final, following one iconic event with another. When it takes place on Sunday, March 5, attendees can expect a seven-hour show filled with live music, DJs and dancing — a queer megamix, if you like. On hosting duties: Keiynan Lonsdale (Love, Simon, The Flash, Eden), who'll also perform. Peach PRC, Alter Boy, BVT and Vetta Borne have also been named on the bill. This is just the first lineup announcement, however, so expect more to follow. Sydney WorldPride has been announcing parts of its lineup since June, including the return of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade to Oxford Street after the 2021 and 2022 events were held at the Sydney Cricket Ground due to the pandemic — and it will drop its full 300-event program in November. As well as the parade, Kylie and Rainbow Republic, Sydney WorldPride will feature pride villages set up in sections of Crown Street and Riley Street, a giant weekend-long street party on Oxford Street, a Bondi beach party that'll turn the iconic sandy stretch into a club for 12,000 people, and a Blak & Deadly First Nations gala concert. Plus, there'll be another huge gig in The Domain — a dance party for 10,000, which is being dubbed as the biggest LGBQTIA+ outdoor dance party in Australia. RAINBOW REPUBLIC SYDNEY WORLDPRIDE CLOSING CONCERT LINEUP: MUNA G Flip Keiynan Lonsdale Peach PRC Alter Boy BVT Vetta Borne Sydney WorldPride will run from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5, 2023, with closing concert Rainbow Republic taking place at The Domain on Sunday, March 5. Tickets for Rainbow Republic are on sale now. For more information about Sydney WorldPride, or for general ticket sales, head to the event's website. Thinking about Sydney WorldPride's big opening gig, Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert, too? General admission tickets have sold out, with only Sydney WorldPride's affordability option left — but you can still head along thanks to Concrete Playground Trips. The Sydney WorldPride package includes tickets to the Domain Dance Party and Live and Proud: Opening Concert, plus three nights at the PARKROYAL Darling Harbour Sydney.
April is here, which means that it's almost that time of year: the time when you're either at Coachella or curing your FOMO by watching it at home. 2024's lineup dropped in January, featuring Lana Del Rey, Tyler, The Creator, Doja Cat and the reunited No Doubt as headliners. Now comes news just as big: if you're dancing along in your living room over two weekends this month and you've got a set clash, you'll be able to livestream multiple stages at once. How many? Four in total, all thanks to YouTube's annual coverage of the event. Each year, Coachella and the online video platform join forces to beam the massive music fest around the world. Of course, that's no longer such a novelty in these pandemic-era times — but being able to fill your screen with a quartet of Coachella sets at the same time definitely is. YouTube's multiview concert experience will enjoy its debut in the music space, and globally, at Coachella. This year, the service will be capturing six different stages, as it did in 2023 for the first time ever — with Sonora on the list for the first weekend and Yuma on the second. That said, while you can feast your eyes on four stages simultaneously, you'll only be able to hear one, so you will still need to pick a favourite in any given timeslot. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Coachella 2024 runs from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 14 and Friday, April 19–Sunday, April 21, which is Saturday, April 13–Monday, April 15 and Saturday, April 20–Monday, April 22 Down Under. For those lucky enough to be getting the IRL experience, the fest takes place at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The full bill is a jaw-dropper, as usual, featuring a stacked array of acts that also spans everyone from Blur, Ice Spice, J Balvin and Peso Pluma to Sabrina Carpenter, Grimes, Lil Yachty and Flight Facilities. [caption id="attachment_936351" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Casey via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Coachella 2024 runs from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 14 and Friday, April 19–Sunday, April 21 — which is Saturday, April 13–Monday, April 15 and Saturday, April 20–Monday, April 22 Down Under — at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, and livestreams via YouTube across the same dates. Top image: Roger Ho.
La Boite's newest performance, A Tribute of Sorts, delves into the magical world of creative minds and their ability to blur one's image of reality. Centred around the awkward interactions of teenagers Ivan and Juniper, this highly visual and compelling theatre piece follows the duo's recollections of past dark and unfortunate events. Described as a “story about storytelling” A Tribute of Sorts combines old world stage magic, illusion and technical trickery to create an open-ended show with a meaning uniquely pieced together by each audience member. With dark pasts combined with the youthful charms of the characters, the ludicriousy of the show only becomes more outrageous as the night progresses. Like most La Boite performances, this show is a must see theatre piece. It is showing for less than a month with tickets starting from $20. Come lose yourself in the peculiar and often comical recollections of Ivan and Juniper.
If you're the kind of beer lover who feels like they've tried every brew ever — or you've made it your mission to achieve that yeasty goal — then you're probably a big fan of the Great Australasian Beer Spectapular. For more than a decade now, since it started off as a Melbourne-only celebration of ales, lagers, ciders and more, the event has been serving up weird, wild, wonderful and inventive varieties, many of which are made exclusively for the booze-sipping shindig. In 2022, that's set to be the case once more, with the beer fest returning for a tour of Australia's east coast capitals in May. GABS is considered to be one of the best craft beer and cider festivals in the Asia Pacific region for good reason, and this year it has at least 120 of them, because that's how many brews will be on offer. Prepare to knock back beers inspired by breakfast foods, savoury snacks, desserts, cocktails and more when the event kicks off its 2022 run at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, May 7, then heads to Sydney's ICC Darling Harbour from Friday, May 20–Saturday, May 21, then finishes up its Aussie dates at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, over the weekend of Friday, May 27–Sunday, May 29. Some of the foods and drinks that this year's GABS brews are taking their cues from: peanut butter, coffee, earl grey tea, chicken salt, pizza, fairy floss, bubblegum and sour gummi bears. Confirmed highlights include Brouhaha's Baked and Wasted, a sour which uses wasted baked goods; Capital Brewing Co's experimental Smooches, which pairs cocao nibs with a strawberry kick; Mismatch Brewing Co's We Love NY Cheesecake stout, in case you've ever wondered what cheesecake in a glass tastes like; and The Catchment Brewing Co's Ra Ra Raspoutine, another stout that, yes, is brewed from chips, cheese and gravy. The event surveys both Australian and New Zealand breweries, with more than 60 set to be pouring their wares in Brisbane, and 70-plus in Sydney and Melbourne. As well as the aforementioned outfits, this year they'll also include Balter, Range, Otherside, Black Hops, Ballistic, Your Mates, Mountain Culture, One Drop and Little Creatures, as well as Colonial, Mountain Goat and Bentspoke — and NZ's Garage Project and Panhead Custom Ale. Also on the bill: other types of tipples, including non-alcoholic beers, seltzers, whiskey, gin, cocktails and wines (including by 19 Crimes Snoop Dog Cali Red). GABS is known for dishing up a hefty lineup of activities to accompanying all that sipping, too, which'll span a silent disco, roaming bands, circus and sideshow performers, games and panels with industry leaders in 2022, as well as local food trucks and vendors to line your stomach. GREAT AUSTRALASIAN BEER SPECTAPULAR 2022 DATES: Saturday, May 7 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Friday, May 20–Saturday, May 21 — ICC Darling Harbour, Sydney Friday, May 27–Sunday, May 29 — Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne GABS takes place across Australia's east coast throughout May — head to the event's website for tickets and further details.
In an attempt to contain COVID-19, the Australian government has announced the mass closure of indoor venues — a move that comes after stacks of events across the country have been axed, restrictions have been placed on non-essential outdoor and indoor events, international travel has effectively been suspended, domestic travel is strongly recommended against and large cultural institutions are temporarily shutting. It's all part of the government's efforts to encourage social distancing and, unsurprisingly, there's been a spike in the number of people now spending more time at home. As a result, bars, cafes and restaurants are now required to shut their doors to dine-in customers — so they're adapting by beefing up their takeaway options, launching new delivery meals and even creating boozy care packages. That means that you can put down that fifth can of Aldi tuna and pick up the phone, knowing you'll be doing a local business a solid while also getting to eating a tasty, fancy, succulent meal. Here, we'll keep you updated on all the restaurant-quality eats you can order takeaway, or have delivered to your doorstep. PICK UP AND DELIVERY [caption id="attachment_756558" align="alignnone" width="1920"] BrewDog DogTap[/caption] Alchemy (CBD) Eagle Street's Alchemy has implemented an 'Alchemy to You' takeaway and office delivery service, with menu items that include jumbo quail with Asian salad ($15), lemon pepper chicken ($20), and the restaurant's lasagne with pork and veal mince sauce ($26). It's also selling grocery items via 'Alchemy Gourmet Grocery' — check out the full list of available supplies online, place your order and then pick it up in-store 24 hours later. Ballistic Beer Co (Salisbury, West End and Springfield) For folks who live within five kilometres of Ballistic Beer Co's Salisbury and Springfield breweries, the booze-loving outfit will deliver its beverages to your home for orders over $70. At all three of its venues, takeaway options are also available. Billykart (West End) Billykart's West End restaurant is doing takeaway orders, with its full menu available by calling the eatery. It has also launched a reduced 'Billykart at Home' range via UberEats. BrewDog DogTap Brisbane (Murarrie) Perched next to the Brisbane river, BrewDog's first Australian base is scrapping all person-to-person contact — but still selling takeaway brews, wine and food via drive-through. On the menu: burgers and fries (from $19.50), pizzas (from $18) and craft beers (from $4), with orders taken via BrewDog's BrewDog HopDrop app for iOS and Android. Fancy dropping by in your boat? You can even pull up at the jetty and get your order brought to your vessel. Beer is currently available for delivery, too, and food delivery via Deliveroo and UberEats will start on Thursday, March 26. E'cco Bistro (Newstead) E'cco Bistro has launched a new takeaway menu, allowing customers to enjoy its a la carte dishes — such as parmesan and fior di latte arancini ($10 for four), gorgonzola potato gnocchi ($25) and 12-hour braised beef cheek with sautéed mushrooms and truffled mashed potatoes ($25) — at home. Call the restaurant to order, with meals available Wednesday–Saturday from 12–3pm and 5.30–8.30pm. You can either opt to collect it yourself — and call E'cco again when you get there so they can bring it out to your car — or make a delivery order via Deliveroo, with UberEats orders launching soon. Florence Cafe (Camp Hill) and Felix for Goodness (CBD) The folks at these two cafes are adapting their menu, offering takeaways and deliveries with a 'build your own menu' approach. Order via 11am, and it'll be available the same day — to pick up between 12–2pm and for delivery between 4–6pm. Gusto da Gianni (Hamilton) You can't enjoy the riverside view, but you can still tuck into Gusto da Gianni's Italian eats. The Portside restaurant has made its entire menu available for takeaway, and for delivery via UberEats and Deliveroo. Jumbo Thai (CBD) Edward Street's Jumbo Thai has started a new delivery and takeaway offering, spanning bao, curries, stir fries, noodles and rice. Paw Paw Asian Kitchen (Balmoral) Expanding its existing takeaway option, Balmoral's Paw Paw Asian Kitchen is now providing patrons with a drive-through service as well. Place your order in advance as usual, then pull up outside the Riding Road restaurant, give them a call and a staff member will bring your food out to your car. You can also order Paw Paw's dishes for delivery, too. Phat Boy (CBD) Brisbane Quarter's resident Thai joint is doing takeaways as well as deliveries — via UberEats and Deliveroo — for lunch Monday–Friday and dinner Monday –Saturday. Proof BBQ & Booze (Windsor) Get barbecued meats delivered to direct your door thanks to Proof BBQ & Booze's takeaway menu — or head by to pick up beef brisket, southern fried chicken, pulled pork, whole blackened fish and smoked hot links by the pound or half-pound. Semi-Pro Brewing Co (East Brisbane) With its taproom closed, Semi-Pro Brewing Co is doing takeaways and deliveries instead. From Wednesday–Sunday, you can stop by to pick up brews. And, if you'd like beer brought to your home without leaving your house, it's offering same-day delivery for full and half cartons. PICK UP [caption id="attachment_624544" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Il Molo[/caption] Belle Epoque (South Bank) Emporium's Belle Epoque has launched a pre-packaged 'grab and go' range, which spans both sweet and savoury goodies — including beef lasagne, Thai red chicken curry, cream of pumpkin soup, beef cheek ragu and Moroccan lamb tagine for $9.90 each; and its usual array of coffee, birthday cakes, tarts and other patisserie items. You can also order via phone, then pull up in the Emporium Hotel South Bank driveway and have your order brought to your car. Burleigh Pavilion (Burleigh Heads) For Brisbanites who find themselves a little further south, Burleigh Pavilion has launched a new takeaway menu. You can't order drinks, but you can nab items from its usual seafood, grills, burger and pizza range, as well as from its selection of sides, share plates and salads. Gerard's Bistro (Fortitude Valley) Significant changes are in effect over at Gerard's Bistro, with the Fortitude Valley restaurant merging with sibling venue Gerard's Bar for the time being. Together in their combined site, they're also offering a takeaway menu — including whole and half charcoal chickens ($25/15), cheese manoushe ($13) and fattoush salad ($10). Il Molo (Bulimba) Eastsiders can check out Il Molo's new takeaway menu, with offers a range of Italian-style fare — including arancini with pumpkin, sage and goats cheese ($15 for three), classic carbonara ($26) and five types of pizza ($20–27). Montrachet (Bowen Hills) From Monday, March 23, King Street's French fine diner is offering a selection of dishes in semi-prepared takeaway packs that can be collected from its Bowen Hills digs. Tuck into duck and cognac parfait ($15), French onion soup ($12), pressed pork belly ($30), opera cake with sauce anglaise ($10.50) and more. Orders must be made before 7pm for collection the next day. Naim (Paddington) Paddington's go-to for Middle Eastern cuisine has opened its whole menu up for takeaway orders, which can be booked by phone or via Facebook and Instagram DM, then picked up in-store. It is also doing 'Family Meal Kits', with options for two or four people ranging from $35–75. Newstead Brewing Co (Newstead and Milton) No matter which Newstead Brewing Co you're closest to — its original Newstead digs or its second site at Milton — you can take advantage of its new click and collect option. It applies across both brews and food, pairing four-packs from the brewery's core range with one of its pizzas. Just order online, include your beer and pizza preference in the notes, then pick it up 30 minutes later — with orders available from 12–8pm daily. Perch'd (Coorparoo) Nestled inside a cute old Queenslander in a leafy Coorparoo street, Perch'd has made its whole menu available for takeaway — with orders available from 4pm Wednesday–Friday and from 12pm on weekends. Ristorante Tartufo (Fortitude Valley) If your tastebuds are hankering for a hearty Italian meal, Fortitude Valley's Tartufo is now offering full takeaway service. Its classic-style pastas, risottos and pizzas are all available to order, as are its entrees, mains and desserts. Same Same (Fortitude Valley) Contact-free takeaway is now available at Same Same, available from 5.30pm Monday–Sunday and 12–3pm Friday–Sunday. Favourites such as the Longtime chicken burger ($5.50), red curry of Angus beef cheek ($30) and banana flower salad with grilled chicken and coconut ($23) are on the Fortitude Valley eatery's menu. Sono (Hamilton) Portside's Sono is known for its luxe Japanese spread — think sashimi platters, soft shell crab with shiso salsa and black cod saiko yaki — which you can now order for takeaway by calling the venue. Tetto Rooftop Bar, Comuna Cantina and Corbett & Claude (Everton Park) This Everton Park trio are offering drive-through takeaway orders. Order online or via phone, then have your meal brought to your car when you arrive to pick it up. Three Blue Ducks (CBD) W Brisbane's resident restaurant is now doing takeaway lunch and dinner, with its full menu available for pick up — for lunch on weekends, and for dinner from seven days a week. Have you come across one we've missed? Let us know at hello@concreteplayground.com Top image: Burleigh Pavilion
Everyone should make the trip to Victoria's Grampians at least once, and here's as ace an excuse to do so as any: the return of much-loved camping festival Pitch Music & Arts. In 2024, it'll host its seventh edition, taking over Moyston again — and the fest's just-dropped lineup is worth getting excited about. The long-running celebration unleashes its fun across the Grampian Plains, with next years' festivities happening from Friday, March 8–Tuesday, March 12. Not only will its three stages play host to a sparkling lineup of local and international musical talent, but the tunes will be backed by a hefty program of interactive art and installations. Basically, you're in for a very big, very busy four days. On the lineup: Janson, Patrick Mason, I Hate Models, 999999999, Job Jobse, Marcel Dettmann and VTSS, for starters. X CLUB., CC:DISCO!, DJ BORING, Kia and Jennifer Loveless are also on the bill, plus everyone from Chaos in the CBD, Sally C, Gabrielle Kwarteng and SALOME to jamesjamesjames playing back to back with Willaris. K, Glass Beams, Sophie McAlister and Tangela. The tunes will be paired with a yet-to-be-announced arts program, but past years have seen street artist Adnate, installation king Clayton Blake (winner of Best Art at Burning Man 2018) and Gumbaynggirr woman Aretha Brown from KISS MY ART do the honours. In between all the dance-floor sessions and arty things, festivalgoers can again make themselves at home in the Pitch Pavilion, which is where yoga classes, meditation and sound baths usually help patrons unwind. If that all sounds like your true calling, you'll have to enter the Pitch Music & Arts 2024 ballot where, just like in 2023, entrants will be required to make a 'Pitch Pledge' — a written commitment to positively contributing to the Pitch community, leaving no trace and behaving respectfully while onsite. PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2024 LINEUP: 999999999 Ahadadream Akua Anz Aroha Aurora Halal Bailey Ibbs Bambounou Bertie Bitter Babe Cakes Da Killa CC:DISCO! Chaos in the CBD Chippy Nonstop Chlär Clara Cuvé Cromby dameeeela b2b DJ PGZ Dan Shake Daniel Avery DJ BORING DJ Gigola Gabrielle Kwarteng Gerd Janson Glass Beams Hasvat Informant Horse Meat Disco I Hate Models jamesjamesjames b2b Willaris. K Jennifer Loveless JNETT Job Jobse Kessler Kia KiNK KSMBA LB aka LABAT Mac Declos Mama Snake Marcel Dettmann Mark Blair Matisa MC Yallah & Debmaster MCR-T Memphis LK Moopie Narciss Nene H Nite Fleit ØTTA Patrick Mason priya RONA. Sally C SALOME Sedef AdasÏ Shampain SHERELLE Sophie McAlister Special Request Spray Surusinghe Tangela THC TYGAPAW VTSS X-Coast X CLUB. Yikes Pitch Music & Arts will return to Moyston from Friday, March 8–Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 8. General tickets will go on sale from 6pm AEDT on Monday, November 13. Top Images: Duncographic, William Hamilton Coates and Ash Caygill.
These days, we're all aware of the impact plastic shopping bags have on the environment, but what about another popular disposable item that everyone uses and no one thinks about? If you've enjoyed a cold beverage somewhere other than your home recently, odds are that you've probably sipped it through a straw (or you were given one). From now on, that won't be the case at Brisbane's Crowbar. Because little things can make a big difference, the Brunswick Street haunt has adopted a "say no to straws" policy and will no longer be serving them with their drinks unless specifically requested. "We are conscious of the environmental impact of plastic and are taking steps to reduce our footprint," the venue advised in a Facebook post announcing the new move. Further expanding upon Crowbar's plans in an interview with The Music, manager Tyla Dombroski explained that they're currently assessing biodegradable options for punters that can't kick their straw fix, and that their efforts won't stop there. If they can work with an organisation that focuses on marine or wildlife conservation, Crowbar would like to implement a donation-for-a-straw scheme. "Even though we're already cutting back our usage, we can also be giving back," said Dombroski. "And hopefully it makes more people think about their use of plastic in everyday life." Here's hoping that Crowbar's efforts also inspire other bars to follow suit — and other industries. Just two months ago, France passed legislation to ban all plastic plates, cups and cutlery from 2020; however Australian laws still haven't caught up with the single-use plastic bag backlash, with only Tasmania, South Australia, ACT and the NT banning them at present. Via The Music.
Step inside the heritage-listed Rothwell's building on Edward Street and, thanks to the new bar and grill that now shares its name, you can be forgiven for feeling like you're on the other side of the world. There's a firmly classic look and vibe to the space that previously housed Jamie's Italian — think: gleaming chandeliers that'd make Sia sing, white marble aplenty, leather booths decked out with vintage table lamps, and silver trays and carafes. The latest venue from 1889 Enoteca's Dan Clark, Rothwell's Bar and Grill might call a 136-year-old Brisbane building home, but it takes its cues from hospitality institutions much further afield. London's The Savoy Grill and The Wolseley are two of them. Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles is another — as well as New York's entire dining scene. For Brisbanites, the result is the kind of venue that aims to make you forget you're in the busiest part of the city — even if you've just made the dash from the Queen Street Mall or Central Station. Joining Clark is chef Ben Russell (ex-Aria, Est Est Est) and, together, they've shaped the newcomer after their favourite eateries from around the globe, following a quarter-century of scoping out the best dining rooms and bars the international scene has to offer. The Rothwell's sit-down experience takes patrons to the 90-seat Marble Bar area, where all that Italian marble — and those aforementioned leather banquettes — provide a light yet intimate atmosphere. If you're just stopping by for a drink, however, the 40-seater Foyer Bar will be your destination. And, for bigger dinners and events, the private dinning room caters to 50 seated guests, or 100 folks standing. It's found in the building's cellar, so you'll be surrounded by 2000-plus bottles of wine, plus eye-catching sandstone walls. Menu-wise, Russell has opted for "classic cooking techniques and European sensibilities — all the things I learned early in my career that I've returned to," he advises. That shines through in a produce-centric lineup that also goes heavy on local seafood, Aussie beef and handmade pasta. Standout dishes include prawn cocktails and steak tartare among the starters; Moreton Bay bugs with café de Paris butter, tagliarini with sea urchin and caviar, and beef wellington from the mains; and chocolate trifle, pistachio brûlée with chocolate gelato, and berry salad with brown-butter ice cream from the dessert offerings. Drinks options span martinis, old fashioned, negronis and Hemingway daquiri — again, the feel here is classic — which, at the bar, are paired with food choices such as oysters, niçoise salad and a club sandwich. Wine lovers can also take advantage of that stacked cellar — which you can visit, and which also houses and sells wines bought from all around the world from Clark's own collection. If your bank balance doesn't quite let you afford a cognac from the 1890s (understandably so), you'll find tipples from all the usual producers, as well as from smaller names from regions such as Burgundy, Chablis, Bordeaux, Champagne and Barolo. And, for digestifs, there's a dedicated armagnac cart, complete with bottles collected from Europe and dating back to the 1920s. Find Rothwell's Bar and Grill at 235 Edward Street, Brisbane — open 12–2.30pm and 5.30pm–late Tuesday–Saturday. Images: Dean Swindell.
If there's anything more nerve-racking than a first date, it's meeting the parents. Picking the perfect place to do it is a balancing act — you need somewhere that isn't too loud or crowded but is busy enough to combat any awkward silences. Also essential is a spot that's trendy enough to impress the future in-laws, but not so upmarket that they're concerned. And, of course, you want somewhere that takes bookings. Everyone knows that parents don't love being waitlisted. Thankfully, Brisbane's bustling dining scene just keeps getting bigger and better. But, as anyone who's ever been in charge of the restaurant selection knows, narrowing the River City's culinary choices down to that one perfect spot isn't always easy. That's why we have American Express on our side to help sift through our directory and pick the best casual dining spots across the city. We've narrowed them down and found a few excellent destinations to help you nail that first meeting — and increase that stock of Amex points you've been collecting. Read on and impress the parents with more than just your dazzling smile. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
It's been a rocky few years for Jamie's Italian in Australia, having relaunched with full ownership in 2017 only to lose ownership again just one year later. Luckily, the Brisbane-based Hallmark Group took over the management of the Australian restaurants, but not without some casualties — the Canberra and Parramatta outposts (the latter of which is set to become a steakhouse) quickly closed. But now, perhaps in an attempt to help us put our faith back in the brand, Jamie's Italian venues across Australia will launch a series of bottomless prosecco lunches for a very reasonable $50 per person. The one-month deal will run every Saturday from September 8 through to October 7 — and it includes a lot more than just an endless supply of sparkling wine. Each table will be served small bites to share (including those crispy polenta chips), and everyone will get a big bowl of pasta. You'll be be able to choose which one you want, too — think classics like prawn linguine and carbonara, and signatures including the truffle tagliatelle and fresh crab spaghetti. Plus, it'll all be topped off with panna cotta for dessert. If we know anything, it's that people really love Jamie's Italian. As such, these lunches are sure book out fast, so front a pineapple and book it already. The bottomless prosecco lunches will be available at Jamie's Italian Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. They'll run each Saturday from from 12–4pm from September 8 until October 7. You can book here.
As the force behind Cake Wines, Glen Cassidy has been shaping Sydney's epicurean side for six years now — and enjoying partaking in it as well. The brand is known for getting involved with the city's cultural events, while the man himself is full of tips and praise for Sydney's dining and drinking scene — particularly Redfern, the evolving inner-city suburb where Cake Wines opened its own cellar door in 2016. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In Sydney, we've called in Glen, whose favourite spots range from the restaurant that's home to Gourmet Traveller's 2018 Chef of the Year to the joint slinging his favourite burgers in town. A stay in one of Pullman's two locations in central Sydney — Hyde Park and Quay Grand Sydney Harbour (there's also two more at Sydney Airport and Sydney Olympic Park) — will not only put you in the thick of all this action, it will let you rest and digest in five-star luxury at the end of the day. Read on for Glen's top Sydney food hot spots in his own words, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. ESTER The team at Ester in Chippendale are big supporters of interesting wines — mostly natural, I think. The food is simple, but with what seems like a few very personal twists by the 2018 Gourmet Traveller Chef of the Year, Mat Lindsay. These guys have got the "local undiscovered but always full" vibe totally dialled. I love going there and sitting at the bar, with a couple of share plates and a few vinos. I've had some memorable afternoons there with Cake staff over the years. HUBERT Best in the game? Probably. The wine list, the menu, the atmos — CBD restaurant Hubert is a reimagining of classic dining, but without the stiffness that often accompanies food and wine this good. Hats off to the team (the Swillhouse Group, also behind Sydney establishments Shady Pines Saloon and the Baxter Inn) who have created this special place, and to the crew who work there. They deliver killer service and vibe, week in, week out. CAKE WINES CELLAR DOOR Yep, ok, I'm biased, but our Cellar Door in Redfern captures everything we love about food, wine and culture in this city. We have all our wines, different cultural programming each week, a solid selection of simple pizzas and charcuterie — all in a beautiful space down on Eveleigh Street. Vibes are always high at the Cellar Door as Redfern continues to evolve, and we're super proud to be part of it. ACME What's not to like? Acme in Rushcutters Bay boasts simple but creative cooking, a banging wine list, great staff and just an all-round vibe. Their creative approach to Italian food means you'll see dishes like cold spaghetti with okra, sesame and ponzu, and pig's head macaroni with egg yolk. We recently had a staff night out there for the launch of Ochota Barrels' new wines and the food was beautifully matched. No wonder they've just been awarded one hat by the Good Food Guide. REDFERN CONTINENTAL AND GDR Legends of the game. Redfern Continental presents a near-perfect example of casual dining, with a hidden gem of a night spot out the back. A complement to the pan-European offering in front, Gunther's Dining Room (aka GDR) is loosely East Germany themed, with curywurst and traditional German hotdogs on the bar menu. Factor in a killer wine list with selections from all around the world, and you've got it made here. $1 Oysters on Sundays in the bar are a must. This place is a regular haunt for Cellar Door staff. Redfern on the come up! SUPERIOR BURGER I grew up near this joint, so I am fond of the crew that is making such a positive contribution to the rapidly changing region that is Western Sydney. In a city overrun with burgers, I can hand on heart say these guys are the best I've tasted by far. The love, skill, energy and drive Jovi [chef Jovan Curic, formerly of Pub Life Kitchen] and the crew have for creating the best-tasting burgers comes out in spades. Get in your car and head to Wakeley — you will not regret it. HANOI QUAN Hanoi Quan offers a truly authentic northern Vietnamese experience. It's been at this spot in Marrickville since forever and gives nothing away from the outside. Had it not been introduced to me by the one and only DJ Arno, I wouldn't know about it, and I can honestly say my life would not be the same had I not tried their signature combination pho and grilled pork vermicelli. BART JR A new kid on the block in Redfern, Bart Jr is a cosy little joint that is quickly becoming my go-to. They have a great wine list (I drank a bottle of Piss Christ there only last week!), plus a fresh and simple menu that changes weekly. Do yourself a favour and stop by today. George, Anne [George Woodyard and Anne Cooper from Scout's Honour and Morris] and the crew have brought something special to the area for sure. DA ORAZIO PIZZA + PORCHETTA Food + wine + music = vibe. It's a hard combo to nail but full respect to Maurice [Terzini, the restaurateur who is also behind Icebergs] and the crew who balance this beautifully (shouts to Picnic on the bookings!). The Napoli-style pizza is made from dough that's left to rise for 48 hours before heading to the woodfire stove, while a whole Berkshire pig hits the spit roast every day (explaining the titular pizza and porchetta). Bondi needs more joints like this. FATIMA'S LEBANESE RESTAURANT Ok, this is the straight-up best "late night on the way home and don't want to get something gross" spot around. We are talking next-level Lebanese food. When it comes to takeaway, kebabs are as legit as they come, served by a proper maestro who has been there since as long as I can remember. Get the lot with chilli sauce, hummus, tabbouleh and salad. Fatima's will make sure you arrive home in one piece. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
2022's best new TV shows spanned everything from mind-benders like Severance to culinary must-sees such as The Bear, plus the best Star Wars series yet in Andor and Irish black-comedy murder-mystery Bad Sisters. Also among them: feminism, penises and 70s porn for women in Minx. The Los Angeles-set HBO comedy jumped back five decades to follow an aspiring magazine editor as she finally scored her dream job — but for a pornography publisher. What's a Vassar graduate and country club regular to do? If she's Minx's Joyce Prigger, she eventually embraces the opportunity, sees a chance to give women something they've been missing and start a conversation about female desire, and turns the whole enterprise into something special. That's the tale that the series' first season charted, as starring Ophelia Lovibond (Trying) and Jake Johnson (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), created by Ellen Rapoport (Clifford the Big Red Dog) and executive produced by Paul Feig (Last Christmas). What's a pioneering, uproar-causing fictional magazine to do after it's already caused a stir? That's where season two comes in. From Friday, July 21, Minx will return to Stan for a second run, with the earnest Joyce and enterprising Bottom Dollar Publications proprietor Doug Renetti (Johnson) dealing with the mag's success, and how that affects their lives. Also impacted, because this is a workplace comedy as well: Bottom Dollar's former model Bambi (Jessica Lowe, Miracle Workers), Doug's ex-secretary Tina (Idara Victor, Shameless), photographer Richie (Oscar Montoya, Final Space) and Joyce's sister Shelly (Lennon Parham, Veep). As the trailer for season two shows, Joyce, Doug and the crew are back in business; the rest of the media is interested in Minx's rise; and Joyce gets the chance to ask a crowded room if any man knows where the clitoris is. Expansion plans, male strippers, padding junk in the name of stagecraft, Minx billboards: they all pop up as well. Getting Minx back on-screen has been quite the tale itself, after the show was renewed for season two back in May 2022 following season one, then cancelled by HBO Max in December during production. Thankfully, US network Starz then stepped in to save the day, picking up the second season. Check out the trailer Minx season two below: Minx season two will start streaming via Stan from Friday, July 21.
As well as creating some of popular culture's most beloved characters of the past three decades, JK Rowling's Harry Potter franchise has also conjured up a whole heap of astonishing critters. The Boy Who Lived himself studied them at Hogwarts, all thanks to textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — and, to the joy of Potter-loving muggles everywhere, Rowling turned that tome into an actual text in 2001. Plus, as every Wizarding World fan knows, that book followed the original Harry Potter novels in making the leap from the page to the screen. So far, two movies have hit cinemas, charting the exploits of the text's author Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) just as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) rises to prominence. While neither the first 2016 film nor its 2018 sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald quite live up to the HP movies, three more are still planned from 2021 onwards. Can't wait that long until your next Fantastic Beasts fix? Particularly fond of the creatures that fly, scamper and scurry through the Wizarding World? Then you'll be waving your wands in excitement about the huge new Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature, which'll display items from Rowling's fictional universe alongside real-life creatures, specimens and artefacts. Premiering at London's Natural History Museum sometime this autumn — spring in the northern hemisphere — for a seven-month season before embarking on an international tour, the showcase will combine critters from the natural world, the mythical world and the Wizarding World. Visitors will see legendary beasts placed alongside specimens and historic objects, while also venturing through digital installations and other elements from the Fantastic Beasts flicks. Unsurprisingly, there'll also be a huge focus on Scamander, the Wizarding World's famed magizoologist. [caption id="attachment_757302" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jeff Spicer[/caption] While the full range of exhibits hasn't been revealed, you can expect to peer at a tiger, a Galápagos marine iguana and a giant oarfish (the planet's longest bony fish) alongside an Erumpent horn and the dragon skull from Professor Lupin's classroom. You'll also be able to compare the camouflage tactics of a jaguar to those of the Demiguise. Here's hoping a super-cute Niffler features in some shape or form, too. Just where Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature will head after its London run hasn't been announced yet either, but start yelling "accio exhibition" while you cross your fingers for a stop Down Under. A collaboration between the Natural History Museum, the BBC and Warner Bros, a Fantastic Beasts documentary is also headed to screens to tie in with the exhibition. Called Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History and presented by Stephen Fry, it'll delve into the origins and stories of mythical creatures and fantastical beasts, examining their history and making connections to animals roaming the planet today. In the UK, it's set to air at a yet-to-be-revealed date later this year — with international airings also yet to be announced. Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature will display at London's Natural History Museum from sometime this autumn — spring in the northern hemisphere — with tickets on sale from Thursday, January 16. Details of the exhibition's international tour are yet to be revealed.
Making a cup of tea can be simple. Grab a teabag, pour in some boiling water, let it steep and voila, you've got yourself one of the world's favourite hot beverages. Enjoying a cuppa can be much more creative, too — whether you're keen on pure green tea leaves, some chai or matcha, high tea, a sip of kombucha, frosty iced tea, bubble teas or a tea latte. Expect tea in a variety of different forms at Brisbane's 2024 BrisAsia ParTEA, which takes over the Chinatown Mall from 3–6pm on Saturday, February 10 as part of 2024's BrisAsia Festival. Someone will be putting the kettle on for an afternoon of tea tastings, tea classes and just tea in general. Whatever kind of tea you fancy, you'll likely find it here — or discover yourself a new favourite. There'll also be a tea market, as well as live tunes, all to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. While general entry is free, bring your wallet for all those cuppas you'll be sipping.
Remember when eating healthily and indulging your sweet tooth were mutually exclusive activities? Thankfully, that doesn't always have to be the case — or ever again, if this Brisbane vegan bakehouse has anything to do with it. Now open in Everton Park, Veganyumm is the answer to every nutrition-focused foodie's prayers (because even the most disciplined crave a delicious treat every now and then). And, as the moniker suggests, those who don't consume meat or animal products should be particularly excited. The eatery isn't just dedicated to whipping up cakes, pastries and other tasty bites — it's also be Brisbane's first 100 percent vegan establishment of its type. If the name sounds somewhat familiar, that's probably because you've come across Cinnayumm at Charlie's Fruit Market. After making a big impression with her egg- and dairy-free artisan cinnamon buns, owner, recipe creator and head chef Shairie Bhim has decided to keep the collaboration going. The cafe whips up all things vegan — as well as free from sugar and gluten — with everything from decadent red velvet cupcakes to cookies in their repertoire. Waffles, pancakes and more also feature, with doughnuts on the list as well — because no Brisbane-based food business can overlook the city's doughy obsession. Drinks-wise, expect organic roasted coffees and mylkshakes (that's the vegan spelling of milk) too. If you're not vegan already, Veganyumm's menu just might change that.
Clocking in at a whopping 170 hectares, Whites Hill Reserve is a bushland park and conservation area. The massive public space located in Camp Hill has amazing views of the city through native trees, plus long bush walks and heaps of native wildlife to discover. With playgrounds, a dog park, sporting fields, picnic areas and a lookout from the top of the reserve's hill, there is heaps of room for activities in this natural outdoor hub. Hang out in The Common area, take a walk up to the summit or check out the eucalypt forest and the Sankey's Scrub rainforest, which is home to some rare plant species. Images: Brisbane City Council, Flickr
2025 is a great year to be a fan of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in Brisbane. Not one but two films based on the literary masterpiece are headed to screens — one from Guillermo del Toro (Guillermo del Toro' Pinocchio) for Netflix, the other courtesy of actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter) — and Shake & Stir Theatre Co's take on the tale has also locked in its Sunshine State return. This stage version of Frankenstein debuted in Queensland in 2023, headed to Melbourne and Sydney in 2024, and now heads back to Brissie in 2025. The story remains the same as it has since 1818, of course, following a young scientist tormented by grief, a bold push to thwart mortality, plus the consequences sparked by his act of playing god. And, as always, it covers the impact upon the being that's spliced together, jolted into existence, yearns to belong, but is swiftly and cruelly shunned. Yes, some of gothic horror's greatest works clearly foresaw their longevity. Bram Stoker's Dracula will never die, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will never stop being brought to life, either. Shake & Stir Theatre Co took on the former back in 2015 and 2017, in a brand-new world-premiere stage production that sunk its fangs into the most famous vampire tale there is. Then, the South Brisbane-based theatre company turned its attention to Victor Frankenstein and his creation. "Gothic fiction is a passion of the company, and Shelley's ground-breaking novel, credited for both its gothic roots and for pioneering the science fiction genre, presents an excitingly monstrous challenge in mounting it for the stage," said Shake & Stir Co-Artistic Director Nick Skubij, who is also directing Frankenstein, when the initial Brisbane season was announced. "This production invites audiences on a journey into the mind of a madman and they will see things on stage that they've seldom seen before. This is Shelley's classic story told in a brand-new, hi-tech monster of a show. Multiple axis of automation, over 140 square metres of LED video panels, pyrotechnics and a cinematic, sweeping score — all working seamlessly together to bring Shelly's tale to visceral life." Accordingly, audiences at QPAC Playhouse from Saturday, May 24–Sunday, June 8, 2025 can expect an immersive performance that steps through Shelley's classic — and with a big emphasis on production design. Think: those video and digital elements playing a hefty part, and the meticulous sound design setting the mood. Shake & Stir's Frankenstein follows not only Dracula, but also Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, A Christmas Carol, Macbeth, Othello, Animal Farm, The Twits, Fantastic Mr Fox and Romeo & Juliet among the company's looks backwards. In the past few years, the theatre group has brought Fourteen and Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! — both personal stories, with the first based on the memoir of the same name — to the stage as well. The oft-adapted Frankenstein is no stranger to audiences, including earning a stunning Royal National Theatre iteration by Danny Boyle (Yesterday) starring Benedict Cumberbatch (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) and Jonny Lee Miller (Guy Ritchie's The Covenant) in 2011 — with the two actors rotating roles between Victor and the creature each night — that's been playing cinemas worldwide ever since thanks to NT Live. With Shake & Stir's take, Skubij sees the timelessness of the work, plus the current parallels. "It's been fascinating to consider this incredible work dealing with themes of advancement, progress and pushing the limits of possibility alongside contemporary advances in AI technology today. The story could not be more relevant," he noted. "Like Victor Frankenstein's creation, AI is arguably neither good nor bad; it's how it's built and used that dictates its legacy." "Frankenstein's monster is just that: a living, breathing 'being' far superior in capabilities than any natural human could ever be. But what are the consequences of using science to play God?" Shake & Stir Theatre Co's Frankenstein will play Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse from Saturday, May 24–Sunday, June 8, 2025. Head to the production's website for further information and tickets. Images: Joel Devereaux.
There's nothing like a night at the movies with your lover. The lights are low, the smell of popcorn is in the air, a subtle yawn turns into a cuddle...those were the days. Today a cheap movie ticket usually means pushing through crowds and dealing with cinema floors that are about as clean as a Supre changing room. So if it's quality time you are after on a night out at the movies, your best bet may be to splurge on a meal nearby. We've narrowed down the top 10 pre- and post-film eats all within walking distance of movie theatres. Piaf Good things come in small packages, and if you are looking for a romantic, quaint, French experience at a reasonable price then this is the place to visit for dinner or a delicious dessert. Piaf's menu changes according to the lovely fresh local produce available but quality is always consistent. Try their strawberry mille feuille with vanilla anglaise and burnt caramel ice cream for a sweet treat. Where: 5/182 Grey Street Southbank; 07 3846 5026; www.piafbistro.com.auNearest cinema: Southbank Cinemas across the road La Via If you are looking for a tasty quick bite without lining up next to hormone-fuelled teenagers on a night out, La Via offers excellent wood fired pizzas to share in a cosy 'am I in Rome?' setting. The calabrese salami, green olives, buffalo mozzarella pizza and basil pizza is probably too good to share. Where: Shop 6e, Little Stanley St, Southbank; 07 3844 3460; www.lavia.com.auNearest cinema: Southbank Cinemas across the road Sugo Mi Downriver on the very chic Oxford St lives Sugo Mi (literally means Sauce Me) and after devouring their Prosciutto rustic style pizza you'll look like someone who has done just that. Good old Sugo Mi also offers takeaway if you want to get down and dirty at home. Where: 3/190 Oxford St, Bulimba; 07 3395 6327; www.sugomi.com.auNearest cinema: Balmoral cinemas nearby Peasant Peasant by name, noble by nature. Gorgeously decorated, this tapas establishment serves delicious Spanish and Portugese bites. Peasant also has a great outdoor area perfect for sharing a jug of their signature red wine sangria. Where: 3/5-61 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane; 07 3367 8066; www.peasant.com.auNearest cinema: Palace Barracks is a short walk away Mirasoul Mirasoul on Caxton St describes itself as more satisfying than a bar and less formal than a restaurant, and we couldn't agree more. Browsing through their extensive tapas and shared plate menu, it's clear that both variety and flavour feature here. Try their shared platter for two or if you want to fly solo, try the zucchini, mint and haloumi fritters with lemon cumin yoghurt. Where: 55 Caxton St, Brisbane; 07 3367 1333; www.mirasoul.com.auNearest cinema: Palace Barracks is a short walk away Byblos Believe it or not, this iconic Brisbane nightspot transforms itself into the perfect lunch spot by the portside, ideal for early movie-goers. We won't blame you for having a sneaky lunchtime cocktail either, as the staff at Byblos are as highly skilled as they are creative. Where: Portside Wharf, Hamilton; 07 3268 2223; www.byblosbar.com.au/brisbaneNearest cinema: Dendy Portside is a short walk away Gusto Di Gianni Also in the Portside precinct, Gusto di Gianni offers friendly wholesome italian food. For best value try the three course Roma or Milano menu; both allow you to sample regional flavours while still enabling you to slip into a lovely post-dinner food coma. Where: Portside Wharf, Remora Rd, Hamilton; 07 3868 2011; www.gustodagianni.comNearest cinema: Dendy Portside is a short walk away Vapiano Freshly made pasta and pizza in one of the most central locations in Brisbane, check. A bar that's not overpowered by a hideous pub rock covers band? Check. Vapiano is proof that you don't have to spend a fortune or compromise on a nice atmosphere for your post-flick feed. Where: 191 Albert St, Brisbane; 07 3221 4933; www.vapiano.com.auNearest cinema: The Myer Centre is right across from Vapiano Hanaichi Sushi Train A far cry from its food court $8 curry chicken specials, Hanaichi Sushi Bar in the Wintergarden offers fresh-in-your-face sushi and sashimi as well as generous hot dishes such as takoyaki and chicken. Where: Wintergarden, 171 Queen Street, Brisbane; 07 3229 4857; www.hanaichi.com.auNearest cinema: The Myer Centre is right across from Hanaichi Sushi Train
There's a big, white container coming to South Bank. But, like most shipping containers in the city, it's not being used to transport furniture. And the word 'séance' will be written on the side in black. It's kind of ominous. Séance is actually a new installation where participants take a seat inside the tiny space, put on a headset and place their hands flat on the table in front of them. The lights go out and the container enters complete darkness. For the next 20 minutes, participants are fed 'suggestible information' through their headsets. You're probably thinking that there's something dark or supernatural about the whole thing — and going by the name, we don't blame you. But the installation's organiser assures us that 'séance' is simply a French word meaning 'session' or 'sitting'. And so Séance is a sensory experience that looks at the psychology of a group sitting together. Despite not being a horror or supernatural-themed piece, it's a scary indicator of how easy it is for confusion, information overload and the people siting right next to us to affect our judgment. Artists David Rosenberg and Glen Neath (who have collaborated in other sensory deprivation projects before) are the creative masterminds behind the project, which has been described as 'disorienting' and 'deeply unsettling'. It's not recommended for the claustrophobic or the easily frightened. The spooky installation visited Sydney and Melbourne late last year, and is now descending on the Treasury Brisbane Arcadia, South Bank, from September 8–29 this year as part of the 2018 Brisbane Festival. Séance is open daily, and runs three times an hour. Tickets cost $20 each and you can purchase them through the website.
While there are plenty of cute Airbnbs and hinterland cottages in this part of the Sunshine Coast, the region is also perfect for camping. Located along the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk is the Flaxton walker's camp, which offers a series of campsites peppered through a towering eucalypt and ash forest with a ferny undergrowth. The site is only accessible via a 16-kilometre walk, but we assure you it's worth the effort — you'll be rewarded with truly majestic surroundings and be woken by birdsong as the sun rises. If you fancy bringing the 4WD, the nearby Hunchy Hills Bush Camp is situated on a former banana and pineapple plantation less than five minutes' drive from the centre of Montville. It offers a superbly secluded setting, with each of the three sites boasting a fire pit and log seats. Head to the website for travel alerts, directions and bookings. Image: Tourism and Events Queensland
Relaxing usually means avoiding difficult decisions. Before you chase bliss at The Bathhouse Albion, however, you do need to make some choices. Will a soak help ease your stresses? Would a cold plunge revitalise your senses? Maybe you'd prefer to float away your troubles? Is getting steamy — in a steam room, that is — your path to unwinding? Would you prefer a sauna instead? These are the best types of verdicts to make, of course, because you're plotting out how to level up your self-care. Making them at the latest relaxation spot in Brisbane's inner north — its second in 2024 alone, after also scoring a new bathhouse in Lutwyche — means that you're on your way to forgetting your worries. A European-inspired wellness haven, The Bathhouse Albion has set up shop on Nariel Street as part the Albion Fine Trades precinct. First announced back in April, it started welcoming in patrons in late June. The vibe here is indulgent, opulent and luxurious — all in an architecturally designed space that boasts Hogg & Lamb's fingerprints, as Brisbane restaurants Babylon and Gemelli Italian already do. Travertine stone is a key element, giving the venue not just a Euro look and feel, but an old-school one as well. Moody lighting and high ceilings also feature. Vanderbilt Wellness is behind the wellness spot, which Managing Director James Walsh — an experienced long-distance and ultra-marathon runner — explains aims to "create a space where our guests can re-energise and restore, as part of a balanced lifestyle in an unmatched setting". He's dubbing it "one of the most luxurious bathhouses in the world", too. "I've had the opportunity to run ultra marathons all over the world and the privilege of experiencing some of the world's most well-regarded and award-winning wellness and recovery centres." "Our aim is to transcend the standard of service and experience available in the Australian market." Within the atmospheric bathhouse, patrons can take a dip in both hot and cold pools (the latter gets down to 12 degrees), then get sweaty in traditional and infrared saunas — and in a Finnish sauna with a fireplace. The six-degree ice bath will cool you down. The tiered steam room will heat you back up. If you just want to drift, there's the float room. And, in-between treatments, the relaxation lounge awaits. Turning chasing bliss into a multi-sensory experience, The Bathhouse Albion also features calming fragrances and sounds — and there's no phones allowed, and no alcohol as well. It also has a cap on guest numbers for each session, so you won't have too much company. And yes, there's tea — that bathhouse staple — for sipping, plus cotton towels aplenty. Casual sessions start from $59. At the other end of the pricing scale, those feeling flush, not to mention willing commit a hefty chunk of cash to their relaxation, can opt for the $833-a-month unlimited membership. It gets you unlimited access and priority bathhouse sessions, as well as two monthly guest passes and two float passes. Find The Bathhouse Albion at 64 Nariel Street, Albion — and head to the venue's website for more details.
The best documentaries have a way of transcending their subject matter, of using particular stories to explore significant human themes. Such is the case with All This Mayhem, the first theatrical effort from director Eddie Martin. Although ostensibly set in the world of professional skateboarding, the film is in fact a deeply personal portrait of brothers Tas and Ben Pappas — the Melbourne-born siblings who helped reinvigorate the sport, only to fall victims to the perils of their spectacular rise to fame. "This is the challenge, getting people [to] realise that it's not just a skate film," Martin told us. "For us, it's a story about brothers that just happens to be set in the world of skating. They're Greek boys, and it is like a Greek tragedy in a sense." The film begins with the siblings as teenagers, and chronicles their journey from a skate ramp in Prahran, Melbourne to becoming the two highest ranked skateboarders in the world. But with the success came money, and drugs, and soon the two brothers began throwing their good fortune away. Martin intercuts archival footage with a series of interviews with Tas, who speaks with devastating candour about the duo's fall from grace — one that culminated in his younger brother's tragic suicide in 2007 and his own incarceration for drug smuggling the following year. Now, after successful screenings at local film festivals, along with a recent UK premiere at the prestigious Sheffield Doc/Fest, All This Mayhem has hit Australian cinema screens. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8wDiszmA2o8 Just getting on camera was a huge act of trust "As a teenager I used to skate at Prahran Skate Park, and that's where I first met the boys," remembers Martin. "Then I stopped skating and we parted ways, but I still saw Ben around socially … then when he passed, that was obviously a huge shock for everyone. No one saw that coming." After Ben's death, the Pappas family was approached by a group of documentary filmmakers, but Tas wasn't happy with the direction they wanted to take the film. "They had approached Tas, who had said no, but they were still moving forward, and it just felt really exploitative," says Martin. "So we got ourselves motivated to go and talk to Tas, to try and do it properly." "Tas and Ben are incredible characters," Martin continues. "They've got a lot of heart and a lot of humour, and I knew Tas had the presence to carry the film. Obviously he had trust issues because of what had happened with that project … so it was just a process of making sure that everyone felt comfortable and that we were all on the same page and doing it for the right reasons." They don't shy away from rock bottom Since his release from prison, Pappas has slowly returned to skating, while steering clear of the temptations of his former life. As he tells it, part of his reason for wanting to do the documentary was as a way of reaching out to his estranged children in the United States. "I had to bear my soul, so my kids could see who I truly am … hopefully they'll see it one day and want to come find me," Pappas says. "Eddie's been a godsend. He's very understanding. He knows how sensitive the material is." Despite their friendship, Martin doesn't pull any punches when depicting the depths the brothers fell to. "We lived like pirates," says Pappas, looking back. "I didn't think about tomorrow. I didn't think about it [as a] career, or that my days were numbered … once I became number one, it was the best time in the world, but I remember thinking 'now what?' So then I really got right stuck into the drugs. I tried for years to get off them, but then I'd end up back on them even harder every time I relapsed." "It's like ripping open old wounds," he continues. "Sometimes I can watch the doco and it means nothing. And then other times I'll watch it and I'll find I'm depressed for days afterwards. Watching my little brother go all gaunt and then die … it wasn't really my brother, in the end." Mercy is the message "We've been blown away by people's response to the film," says Martin. "The response from the exhibitors has been so strong in the UK that they're going to bring it out on 30 screens, which is huge for an Australian film, let alone a doco." When asked about the positive response, Pappas says it feels "undeserved." At the same time, he's pleased by the prospect that his story might help others. "I've got a lot of regret, and I don't really esteem myself too highly with a lot of the stuff that I've done," he says. "But people seem to be forgiving. God is merciful, I've started learning that. If I've been shown this much mercy, I sort of have to try and help some kids who are going the wrong way." All This Mayhem opens on July 10 exclusive to Cinema Nova in Melbourne and Dendy Newtown in Sydney. Read our review here.
Since July 2024, The Zoo has been no more, with the beloved venue on Ann Street in Fortitude Valley closing its doors after more than three decades of hosting live tunes. If you're a heartbroken Brisbanite who still can't imagine the city's music scene without one of its most-famous places, that's understandable — its influence was that big — but soon the pivotal space will no longer be empty, or silent. The team behind Crowbar Brisbane also know what it's like to have to close the doors on one of the city's favourite hangouts — and now they're saving the day at The Zoo. Four years after shutting up shop in the River City due to the impact of the pandemic, Tyla Dombroski and Trad Nathan are bringing Crowbar back, taking over The Zoo's old digs. "The Zoo has been an institution in Brisbane for over three decades. Crowbar intends to honour the amazing path laid before us and continue offering great events for years to come," said Nathan, announcing the news. "As a former punter, band member, booker and promoter, playing The Zoo was a great achievement for aspiring bands — we're excited to be able to keep music within its walls." "We are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with the landlords, the Apostolos family, in maintaining the property as a live music venue. Our focus is to continue providing a great space for artists and music lovers, while working with industry and government to ensure the survival of grassroots venues across Australia," added Dombroski. There's no exact date yet for 711 Ann Street's reopening as Crowbar Brisbane, but the revival will continue the Crowbar brand in its birthplace. It was back in 2012 that the venue initially launched as a live music space, expanding to Sydney in 2018. When it is up and running at its new location, Crowbar Brisbane 2.0 will include American-inspired, smashed burger-slinging eatery Ultimate Pig, where fried chicken, barbecue and more will also be on the menu — and a rebrand by Melbourne artist Callum Preston, who'll be doing the same for Crowbar Sydney. To celebrate its launch week, the new Crowbar Brisbane will host a week of special events featuring well-known Australian names, too, with details still to be revealed. The Zoo's 32-year run saw it host gigs by local favourites such as Resin Dogs and Screamfeeder, Aussie greats like Nick Cave and Silverchair, and international acts including The Pixies and The Black Keys — and plenty more in-between. The team behind the venue shut up shop due to "rising operational costs and decreasing returns". "Sadly, the financial reality of keeping music venues afloat in 2024 is all too stark. The Zoo reached its highest ticket sales in its 32-year history last year, yet this was still not enough to combat rising operational costs and decreasing returns," The Zoo crew advised when they broke the news. "As a music venue, we try our best to keep venue hire costs as low as possible for artists and promoters, which means that the financial risks are on the venue, and we depend on bar sales for profit. The cost of supplying alcohol is rising, and bar sales are going down, likely due to a mix of lifestyle changes and cost of living stress for our patrons." "The hard truth is that we've been running at a loss for over three years. Despite exploring every avenue available to us, we could not secure the level of support needed to surmount the continued financial strain. We have no choice but to call last drinks for both of our beloved music venues." [caption id="attachment_873288" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luke Henery[/caption] Find Crowbar Brisbane in The Zoo's old digs at 711 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley sometime in the near future. For further information in the interim, head to the venue's Facebook and Instagram pages. The Zoo images: Cat Clarke / Luke Henery.
We all know that Sydney and Melbourne have shared the 'Cultural Capital of Australia' title for a long while now, but enough is enough. Brisbane is quietly becoming a cultural mecca, with the art and music scene thriving. In fact, music is one thing Brisbane has always done well, and to save you the trouble of jumping on the bandwagon when these bands blow up, we are giving you a slight heads up so you can say you liked them before everyone else did. Be quick though; more people are taking notice daily. The Creases A band that gets the collective nod from The Guardian, NME and Franz Ferdinand is one you should take note of. The fact that they come from our fair city is even more exciting. The Creases have been touring with big acts and fellow locals all over town, with their infectiously upbeat ‘70s style indie pop. Daggy caps and oversized denim have never looked so cool. And that’s just the debut single; check out 'I Won’t Wait'. The Kite String Tangle Danny Harley, known to his devoted fans as The Kite String Tangle, is selling out shows left, right and centre. Millions of online hits, remixes to boot, and even some fandom tattoos to his name, this solo experimental aficionado has seemingly exploded on the scene in the past 12 months. His unique and endearing strand of “ethereal pop” manages to fill the room with soundscapes. He’ll be going back into the studio for more releases; however, it seems almost impossible to tie him down. Jeremy Neale Jeremy Neale, the king of Bris-pop, the champion of hearts and the seducer of ear drums. He has been making serious splashes in the deep end of Brisbane’s talent pool. From his time with the riotous racket funsters, Velociraptor, to playing a '60s swinging, crooning, turtleneck-wearing pop outfit, the J. Neale stamp knows no wrong. He has recently released a new EP, spread the love to nationwide stages, all while managing the ongoing emotional output of social media streams. Major Leagues Major Leagues are of major excitement. From playing BIGSOUND in September, to hitchhiking interstate with pal Jeremy Neale, these guys are making home runs. They’ve recently released their debut EP, Weird Season, and gaining some serious media attention surrounding their live shows. The John Steel Singers Sometimes, when a band appears to be taking the world by storm, it’s a wonderful to remember that they share your hometown. The John Steel Singers, apart from releasing some mighty cool tunes in recent times, have been touring non-stop to share the Steely love. Their new album Everthing’s a Thread has been a long time coming from the five-piece, and is truly an album worth shouting about. Yes! Brisbane! Well done! The Trouble With Templeton BIGSOUND 2013 (plus 2012) was just the beginning for the nicest folks in the biz. The Trouble With Templeton played their part in the annual showcase, before jetsetting across the US and over to select parts of Europe to treat those in search of a great riff, a nice lyric, and a heathy dose of musical intrigue. They are the masters of the delicate ode to love and loss, and will hopefully continue their reign for some time to come. Morning Harvey There are many a great psych-rock outfit in our fair city, and Morning Harvey is no exception. Their dreamscapes of guitar fuzz and unstructured onstage jams are mesmerising to watch and are delivered with a charm that cannot be faulted. After a string of delicious shows, these guys will be heading into the studio next month. We eagerly await their next release. Rolls Bayce This band has a whole lotta groove. Rolls Bayce is the wunderkind from Brisbane gold stars Dean McGrath and James Wright. They’ve leapt straight into the spotlight, having played a string of shows and are wasting no time getting some tunes on deck in the studio – newest single 'Arrows' is a good time. Fans of their other bands will not be disappointed; in fact, we’ve got high hopes that these kids will fit in just nicely.
Fining guests for posting bad reviews of your Vanderbilt-built hotel? Might want to think twice on that poorly-formed brainwave and avoid giving internet reviewers a reason to unite. Union Street Guest House in Hudson, New York is doing exactly that. The Rockefeller/Vanderbilt estate hastily took down a controversial rule from its own website yesterday, according to Huffington Post. The super dumb, money-grabbing rule charged wedding guests (primarily the newlyweds themselves) for any bad reviews posted on review websites like Yelp and Trip Advisor. Yep. Apparently, as pointed out by the initial New York Post story on Monday, couples holding their wedding at the USGH would see a sneaky $500 deducted from their security deposit for each thumbs down posted online by their guests. After a few WTF inquiries, the hotel took to Facebook and pulled the ol' 'it was all a joke' card to quash the backlash, but then mysteriously that post went missing too. "The policy regarding wedding fines was put on our site as a tongue-in-cheek response to a wedding many years ago," read the Facebook post. "It was meant to be taken down and certainly was never enforced." Although it's no longer (obviously) up on the hotel's website, Business Insider snapped it up before it was lost to the ages. Here's what the rule read, seriously: If you have booked the Inn for a wedding or other type of event anywhere in the region and given us a deposit of any kind for guests to stay at USGH there will be a $500 fine that will be deducted from your deposit for every negative review of USGH placed on any internet site by anyone in your party and/or attending your wedding or event. Although the team attempted to put out the fire, the sparks had already flown. Over 500 angry reviewers threw the hotel major shade with the lowest possible rating, again and again and again. Although sites like Yelp delete reviews who haven't actually stayed in the venue up for review, the slams are still coming for USGH: Now Union Street Guest House's rating looks like this: Yikes. Think before you joke-fine. Via Business Insider, Huffington Post and New York Post.
Over 150 artists and designers will take over Brisbane this May for the inaugural BRISBANE ART DESIGN (BAD) festival. From Friday, May 10, this new festival will showcase emerging and established talents in 25 spaces throughout the city — from the festival hub at the Museum of Brisbane and across the CBD, West End, Fortitude Valley, Woolloongabba and surrounds. A multi-dimensional exhibition at the Museum of Brisbane will sit at the heart of the festival, featuring works across robotics, object design, performance art, video, installation, virtual reality, ceramics, sculpture and painting. BAD@MoB will include new commissions from artists and designers like Justene Williams, Nicolette Johnson, Craig and Karl and Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan. The BAD program will also include Shared Connections, a series of outdoor installations, projections, tours, workshops and conversations by First Nations artists including Michael Cook, Sonja Carmichael, Dale Harding, Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, Tamika Grant-Iramu. Also on the agenda is the BNE DESIGN market with jewellery, homewares, fashion, ceramics, stationery, accessories and more for sale on Friday, May 24, from 4–9pm, in Reddacliff Place. There'll be food trucks and a live performance by gypsy jazz band The Van Dijk. Meanwhile, you can take part in roaming street and public art tours through various city precincts on foot, on a bike or camera in hand, meditate in QUT's The Cube or channel your creative skills in a spray painting and screen printing workshops. BAD runs from Friday, May 10 to Sunday, May 26. The Museum of Brisbane's BAD@MoB exhibition will continue until Sunday, August 11. To check out the full program and register for workshops, visit the BAD website. Images: Craig & Karl, Triptych (2018), Liu Haisu Art Museum, Shanghai; Kellie O'Dempsey, installation shot, National Gallery of Australia; Derlot, QTZ chairs, photo by Florian Groehn; Nicolette Johnson, Spire, Two-Pronged Vase (Ore), Crucible I.
Turning off your alarm at 6am is one of the easiest things in the world. But turning off a coffee machine half asleep? That's a little bit harder. Perhaps that's what designer Josh Renouf had in mind when creating a genius new coffee-brewing alarm clock. Well, that and the irresistible lure of a fresh cup of coffee waiting at your bedside. In the latest of things to be invented that really should have been invented already, comes The Barisieur. Unlike this ultimate tease of a breakfast-scented alarm clock — which wakes you up with smells of coffee and bacon — this designer device a is the real deal. Not only will it emit smells of coffee (or loose leaf tea, if you prefer) throughout the night as a natural relaxant, but it will wake you up at your desired time with "the sound of bubbling water and the smell of freshly brewed coffee". And just like magic, you'll have a cup of coffee waiting when you pry open your eyes. So how does it work? The water is boiled in the left vessel by an induction hob, forcing it to move up and over into the stainless steel filter on the right. The Water then moves through the coffee to create a super fresh (and convenient) cup of filter. There's also a cooled tray that can store milk and a drawer for sugar and whatever else you might like to pop in your coffee. Like all great devices of our time, The Barisieur is currently being funded on Kickstarter. So far 766 backers have raised almost £200,000 — over half of the £380,000 goal. UPDATE: OCTOBER 10, 2016 The Barisieur has been fully funded, with 1186 backers pledging £383,623 for the most amazing alarm clock of all time. You can pre-order one here.
After spending the summer focusing on play, Museum of Brisbane has turned its attention to clay, heroing pottery and ceramics in all their forms. Moving from getting active to appreciating earthy objects, the seasonally appropriate switch has arrived courtesy of the site's new Clay: Collected Ceramics exhibition — its latest free excuse to wander around level three of City Hall in King George Square. Premiering as part of Brisbane Art Design 2023, but gracing the museum's walls and halls until Sunday, October 22, Clay: Collected Ceramics isn't just showing an age-old art form some love (or endeavouring to appeal to fans of Patrick Swayze film Ghost). It's also celebrating Brisbane's clay, pottery and ceramics community, specifically 60 years of clay-based practise in the River City, all via more than 300 pieces. If that sounds like a lot of clay, it is — and there's a vase by Bonnie Hislop decked out not only in colour, but with the words "a bit much" that irreverently sums up the massive showcase. The Yeerongpilly-based ceramicist's works sit among the exhibition's range of newly commissioned, never-before-seen contemporary pieces from local artists, which also includes contributions by Nicolette Johnson, Jane du Rand, Kenji Uranishi and Steph Woods. A big focus: mould-breaking uses of the medium. Other highlights include leaning into the colour often associated with clay — brown — by grouping together works by Carl McConnell, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, Milton Moon, Lyndal Moor, Kevin Grealy and more that showcase the tone in a variety of shades. And, the private collection of author, poet and Paper Boat Press founder Kylie Johnson features heavily, capitalising upon her lifetime love of collecting pottery. There's also exhibition-within-the-exhibition Commune, with hundreds of memory vessels lent by Brisbane's ceramics community — marking the biggest-ever artist-sourced display in MoB's history, in fact — and an evolving installation by artist-in-residence Jody Rallah. Clay: Collected Ceramics also spans functional pieces dating back to the 70s, plus items that were only ever going to sit on someone's shelves from a range of talents, encouraging a conversation about the plethora of ways that the tactile material in the spotlight can be used. Although a screening of the aforementioned Ghost isn't on the bill, MoB has commissioned a film for Clay: Collected Ceramics, letting attendees see inside ceramics' intimate spaces — and also getting makers chatting about why they adore sinking their hands in. Clay: Collected Ceramics is on display at Museum of Brisbane, Level 3, City Hall, Brisbane CBD until Sunday, October 22. Head to the exhibition website for further details. Images: Claudia Baxter.
Following a Golden Globe haul earlier this year, Donald Glover's series Atlanta has landed an Australian premiere. Heading to the newly minted SBS Viceland channel on Tuesday, February 28 at 9.30pm, the award-winning series will be shown in double episodes weekly. Even better, the entire series will be available on SBS On Demand from the same date. Created, co-written, and produced by Glover, also known as artist Childish Gambino, Atlanta follows the life of Princeton dropout Earn Marks (Glover) and his cousin Alfred 'Paper Boi' Miles (Brian Tyree Henry). The series sees Earn supporting his two-year-old daughter and managing his rapper cousin trying his luck at breaking into the music industry. The series took out two Golden Globes in January, with Glover landing Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy, and Atlanta taking out Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Atlanta is one series we think you should catch up on after the Golden Globes. Read the whole list here.
Calling all history buffs: now is an excellent time to plan a long weekend in Canberra, with an incredible exhibition celebrating the might of the Roman Empire arriving at the National Museum of Australia (NMA) on Friday, September 21. Rome: City and Empire is a collaborative exhibition with the British Museum and makes the NMA only the second institution to host it worldwide — and the only museum that will do so in Australia. The exhibition showcases over 200 jaw-dropping objects, including marble sculptures, illustrations, geometric jewellery, gold medallions and burial chests — many of which have never toured internationally, let alone reached the Southern Hemisphere. This is once-in-a-lifetime stuff. Whether you're a history aficionado who smashes all the ancient Rome questions at trivia or a total novice, the exhibition offers an opportunity to step back in time to experience what daily life was like in one of the most sophisticated, culturally diverse and creative civilisations the world has ever known. You'll leave with an insight into just how Rome became such a mighty empire — one whose aesthetics, ingenuity and approach to design continue to influence us today. Rome: City and Empire will run from Friday, September 21, 2018 to Sunday, February 3, 2019. Tickets can be purchased via the NMA's website. Images: Fragment of a diadem, Naukratis, Egypt, 67–98 CE, gold; Roman Republican coin for Julius Caesar minted in Rome, Italy, 44 BCE, silver; Mosaic panel, Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum), Turkey, 4th century CE ©Trustees of the British Museum
It has played host to everyone from the Beastie Boys to The Chemical Brothers — plus plenty of festivals, too — and is one of the city's main live music venues. And, on Saturday, September 7, it'll be exactly 30 years old, with the Brisbane Riverstage launching on the same date in 1989. Brisbane Festival is celebrating the occasion, naturally, with help from Hot Dub Time Machine, Cub Sport, Confidence Man, Last Dinosaurs and Clea. They'll all take to the stage as part of a huge birthday bash that also doubles as a one-day festival — and, thanks to the headline act (aka Tom Loud), you can expect plenty of retro tunes. We're guessing that more than a few late 80s bangers will feature as he hits the decks, because this shindig is all about nostalgia.
Trump. Inequality. Charlottesville. North Korea. Taylor Swift's 'Look What You Made Me Do'. It's been a, er, testing year thus far. And if it weren't for our ability to talk about it — whether it's desperately debating asylum seeker policy in a pub corner, scrolling through Twitter for solidarity or listening to a critical analysis of covfefe on the way to work — we would probably all be hiding under makeshift bomb shelters in our kitchens by now. But when do we stop talking (and talking) about the state of the world and actually start doing something? That's what the Sydney Opera House set out to address this weekend at ANTIDOTE, a new festival that has replaced the Festival of Dangerous Ideas on their program with the intention of inspiring action. The inaugural ANTIDOTE, which ran over two days, featured a range of speakers, artists and activists whose subject matter moved, for the most part, past the visceral into the practical. They showed us that action isn't always seen through protest — that it can come through satire, by lifting yourself up with 20,000 balloons or just moaning really loudly until someone listens. While it's hard to say if the audiences at ANTIDOTE will put any of their newfound learnings into practice — except perhaps those who are bound by contract from immersive theatre game The Money — here's five things we took away from the festival. It's up to you to crawl out from your bunker and put them into action. [caption id="attachment_635687" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton / Sydney Opera House[/caption] IT'S ACTUALLY DIFFICULT TO SATIRISE DONALD TRUMP — THE ONION America's finest news source has been satirising US politics, everyday life and the power ranking of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen since 1988. They've found ways to cover presidents like George W. Bush ('Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over') and Barack Obama ('Black Guy Asks Nation for Change') — and so, with the election of Trump last year, you'd think it would have made The Onion's job a total cakewalk. Not so. According to managing editor Marnie Shure, video director Katy Yeiser, and senior writer Dan McGraw, who appeared in conversation with The Chaser's Craig Reucassel, Trump's absurd behaviour is inherently hard to satirise because readers often can't tell the difference between satire and reality. Unlike other government figures who usually say one thing but mean another, Trump just says what he means — and there's very little you can do with that. Although they seem to have managed just fine. [caption id="attachment_635686" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton / Sydney Opera House[/caption] PEOPLE WANT TO HELP THE HOMELESS BUT DON'T KNOW HOW — THE MONEY This was no more apparent than at Kaleider's performance of The Money. Held in the Utzon Room — with its views that dissolve into the harbour water — the concept is this: a select number of 'players' sit around the table and decide what to do with a wad of cash. They can put it towards anything legal they can unanimously agree on, but they can't donate it to charity or split it with each other. A group of 'silent witnesses' also present; they don't have a say unless they slap some money on the table, in which case they are then embedded into the decision-making process. At a session on Sunday, discussion quickly turned to acts of non-direct charity. With only $500 on the table — unlike the jackpotted $6000 that went to the YES campaign the night before — the participants wanted to find a way to use the money that would actually make a difference in someone's life. Homelessness — unlike organisations in which members had a vested interest in — was a neutral cause that no one could find a suitable opposition to. But the main question was how. Without giving directly to a charity that would help people without a home, the players decided (after much discussion and disagreement) to put the money on a gift card, that would then be donated to a non-profit to, hopefully, provide food and goods to those who need it. [caption id="attachment_635684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton / Sydney Opera House[/caption] SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SAY THE WORDS TO REALISE PEOPLE WERE WAITING TO SAY THE SAME THING — EVE ENSLER When Eve Ensler started first performed The Vagina Monologues in a Greenwich Village cafe in 1996, the word 'vagina' was rarely spoken out loud. Nowadays it's much less taboo. And while the playwright and activist thought her play would be redundant by now (if only), the ongoing response and shift of how society views women and their bodies is still a prime example of how art has the power to transform thinking and urge people to act. Ensler took to the stage in what can only be described as a fierce powerful takedown of the "predator-in-chief", the Australian Government's policy on asylum seekers and violence against women and girls. She urged the audience to speak out, refuse to be silenced, stop looking away and say the words that everyone's thinking — because that's how they get introduced into the conversation. She then proceeded to perform a monologue that ended in all-in audience moaning. [caption id="attachment_635721" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Letícia Almeida[/caption] TURNS OUT, HELIUM BALLOONS CAN LIFT A HUMAN — CHEROPHOBIA If you've ever watched Up, then the elation of artist Noëmi Lakmaier taking flight by way of helium balloons would not have been lost on you. Especially after the uncertainty and shared suspense of the coming-and-going audience members that visited over the nine-hour work. While her actual lift-off wasn't as dramatic as Carl and Russell's, it did offer a source of contemplation on happiness and fear for those who'd stuck around. Plus, the Concert Hall filled with 20,000 balloons was a pretty lovely sight to see. [caption id="attachment_635685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton / Sydney Opera House[/caption] WE NEED TO DISMANTLE DOMINANT IDEOLOGIES — RENI EDDO-LODGE Reni Eddo-Lodge refuses to explain race to white people — which is fair enough, really. But after a blog post titled 'Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race' blew up in 2014, Eddo-Lodge has become a prominent journalist and blogger on the topic of, well, just that, having recently released a book of the same name. In her conversation with Benjamin Law she spoke about whiteness as an implicit but ever-present power structure that upholds the dominant ideologies that suit white people. So how do we break the cycle of dominance? Question them. Read up on indigenous history, campaign to change the date of Australia Day — don't accept the structural systems of society just because that's the way they are. Also, read her book. Top image: Letícia Almeida.
The Gold Coast, with its enviable combination of good weather and beaches, already gives off festival vibes all year round. But the real kicker happens when you add beer to all of that goodness. Add vitamins B (beer) and C (cider) to the vitamin D you cop on the coast with the Crafted Beer and Cider Festival, on Saturday, September 7. Taking place in Kurrawa Park in Broadbeach, the beer festival will unite more than 40 of Australia's top craft breweries, over 200 different brews and some good food and live music to line your stomachs and ears. It's as good an excuse as any for a cheeky getaway to the Goldy. Locals like Balter Brewing Company, Black Hops Brewing and Burleigh Brewing Co join up with visitors like Sydney's Akasha Brewing Company, Yulli's Brews and Young Henrys, plus Victoria's Bridge Road Brewers and Moon Dog — and that's but a few of the many beer houses to be represented on the day. More of a cider person? Far From the Tree and Granite Belt Cider Co. are some of the cideries making the pilgrimage to the Coast. Food-wise, your picks span Little Havana, Smokin' Grill BBQ, Mac From Way Back, The Wiener House and more — including a hot dog-eating contest. The music lineup is equally eclectic with The Delta Riggs, Wharves, Seaside and Nice Biscuit among the bands providing the soundtrack to your day. Also on the day's agenda is comedy, a ping pong competition and beer yoga, where you can perform a few downward dogs before you down your beer — it's all about balance, after all.
It's safe to say that Australia's COVID-19 vaccination rollout hasn't been all smooth sailing. Nor has it come without its (unfair) share of highly divided opinions. But, we can all agree that getting back to a world where we're all able to do the things we love would be very nice, indeed. For many, the arts industry is one of the biggest things we've sorely been missing in the last 18 months, and it's also one of the sectors that has been hit the hardest by the pandemic. This was the catalyst for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's compelling new ad campaign aimed at overcoming vaccine hesitancy in Australia. The Performance of a Lifetime was created with the help of a diverse cast of local artists and arts organisations in order to encourage audiences to get on board and get vaccinated when they're eligible. Its message? The sooner people play their part and get their jab — aka the performance of a lifetime — the sooner we can all get back to doing what we love. Best of all, it ditches any alarmist chat in favour of clear, straightforward messaging and a hopeful outlook. Musical comedy trio Tripod, who appeared in the ad, summarised the sentiment nicely in a media statement: "The sooner everyone mucks in and gets the jab, the sooner the arts community can get back to what we do best — providing a focal point for communities to gather, so we can all share our joy at being alive on this big, stupid planet." The two-minute-long ad features a rollcall of other familiar faces from Melbourne's music, theatre, dance and performance communities, including iconic entertainer Rhonda Burchmore OAM, composer and soprano Deborah Cheetham AO, and actress Virginia Gay. You'll also spy appearances from members of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Theatre Company, The Australian Ballet and national Indigenous opera company Short Black Opera. As comedian and songwriter Tim Minchin said in a statement, "Get vaccinated Aussies…as soon as you possibly can. Let's show this fucking bug the door." You can check out the full 'Performance of a Lifetime' ad video here on YouTube.
The What We Do in the Shadows franchise shows no signs of dying, with the American TV comedy spinoff from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's hilarious movie still going strong. But one part of this saga did say goodbye, with fellow television sitcom Wellington Paranormal running for four seasons between 2018–2022. Been missing its comic take on Cops? It's now living on with a companion podcast. Back before Wellington Paranormal initially arrived, Waititi described it as "Mulder and Scully but in a country where nothing happens". With the brand-new podcast — which is called The Wellington Paranormal Podcast — the actors behind those fictional New Zealand police officers are chatting through the show. So, get ready to spend time with Karen O'Leary (Red, White & Brass) and Mike Minogue (My Life Is Murder), who played officers Karen O'Leary and Mike Minogue, as they dive into the making of the hit series. On TV, O'Leary and Minogue were Wellington's trusty paranormal investigators, with help from the always-eager Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu, Our Flag Means Death) and Officer Parker (Tom Sainsbury, Loop Track). That meant not only trying to keep the city safe from not only vampires and werewolves, but also from ghosts, aliens and more, in a show that was equally funny and silly — and never afraid to enlist familiar faces. As podcast hosts, O'Leary and Minogue will also be bringing in guests, including Pohatu and Sainsbury. Other actors will also feature, plus writers and directors, with exactly who else will be popping up left as a surprise. Listeners can tune into the end results from Thursday, November 23, with new episodes available weekly, via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast apps. Definitely present from the get-go: O'Leary and Minogue's familiar banter. "Karen and I are excited to be bringing this podcast to our fans all around the world. They'll both be thrilled," said Minogue about The Wellington Paranormal Podcast. "We're looking forward to dissecting each episode as well as talking to both the people who created the show, and celebrity fans who, correctly, think Wellington Paranormal is the greatest thing to ever appear on screen." The Wellington Paranormal Podcast starts streaming from Thursday, November 23, with new episodes available weekly, via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast apps.
New York City could soon be home to the world's longest skyscraper. No, not the tallest. The longest. An ultra-skinny, two-legged skyscraper that curves at its peak before returning back to earth, the fittingly named Big Bend would stretch 4,000 feet (1.22 kilometres) end to end, making quite a unique addition to Manhattan's already iconic skyline. The proposed luxury apartment block was designed by local studio Oiio. "The story of The Big Bend follows a recent trend that has appeared in New York City: the emergence of myriad tall and slender residential skyscrapers," explains the studio on its website. "But what if we substituted height with length? What if our buildings were long instead of tall? If we manage to bend our structure instead of bending the zoning rules of New York we would be able to create one of the most prestigious buildings in Manhattan." It's unclear exactly how narrow The Big Bend would be. According to The Telegraph, it would feature a lift that can travel both vertically and horizontally around the building's entire length. The proposed site for the super-long skyscraper lies around West 57th Street, just south of Central Park. Home to numerous luxury apartment complexes and high-rises, the area is sometimes referred to as Billionaire's Row. The Big Bend doesn't actually have planning permission as of yet. But you have to admit, it'd be a hell of a sight.
As well as being one of Brisbane's best concert venues, The Triffid is an ace place to enjoy a drink. While you don't need to be there for a gig to kick back in the beer garden, combining both tunes and brews is one of this Newstead favourite's drawcards. At the Sip Happens Festival, that's still the formula — but at an afternoon-long wine-tasting fest with a live music soundtrack. Up-and-coming small producers are in the spotlight at this excuse to sample more than 100 drops, with folks making organic, minimal-intervention and biodynamic tipples — and with a focus on sustainability — earning the event's love. These kind of wine fests aren't just an experience to indulge in for a few hours; they're a way to top up your vino knowledge, expand your drinking horizons and discover your next favourite plonk Sip Happens Festival debuted in 2023, proved a wine-adoring hit and is now returning from 12–5pm on Saturday, August 3 — and, alongside vino, attendees will also be sampling craft beers and spirits. Your $71.81 ticket includes everything that you're keen to taste, a glass to sip from and a $25 wine voucher for purchases. Opt for the VIP treatment instead for $96.29 and you'll also receive a welcome glass of prosecco, snacks to nibble on and access to the VIP zone.
Of all the stars that can be traced back to Australia, few fill people with joy like the late, great Olivia Newtown-John. An iconic voice of Australian music, her ballads and sweeping melodies will live on forever thanks to fans and tribute concerts like Queensland Symphony Orchestra's 'Hopelessly Devoted: A Celebration of Olivia Newton-John' — hosted by Brisbane-native drag superstar Courtney Act on Saturday, April 6. Conducted by Nicholas Buc, the orchestra will provide the backings while Courtney Act and her fellow stars of screen and stage (David Campbell, Jess Hitchcock, Georgina Hopson and Christie Whelan Browne) provide vocals for the discography of Newton-John in a tribute fitting of a legend. Expect all the hits, from the sing-alongs of Grease to the bops of Xanadu and other classics like 'Magic', 'I Honestly Love You', 'Make a Move on Me', and of course, 'Hopelessly Devoted to You'. It's all happening amid the fabulous acoustics of the QPAC Concert Hall and it will inevitably sell out so get in quick. Fitting of Newton-John's legacy and the hosts for the night, you're encouraged to dress up in drag or otherwise colourful, sparkling and vibrant outfits to enjoy the energy of the night. Hopelessly Devoted: A Celebration of Olivia Newtown John is taking place at 1.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, April 6 at the QPAC Concert Hall, for more information or to get tickets, visit the website.
Writing a prescient tale is the science-fiction holy grail, and a feat that Philip K Dick firmly achieved. Making a movie that becomes the prevailing vision of what the future might look like in the entire world's minds? That's a stunning filmmaking feat, and one that Ridley Scott notched up as well. The reason for both? On the page, 1968's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. In cinemas, 1982's Blade Runner. And if you need reminding of how stunning a story that the iconic sci-fi author penned, or how spectacular a film that the legendary director then turned it into, look no further than Blade Runner's return to the big screen — with a live score. When Dick pondered the difference between humans and artificial intelligence more than half a century back, he peered forward with revelatory foresight. When Scott followed fresh from Alien, he did the same. Now, with the clash between the organic and the digital a daily part of our lives in this ChatGPT-heavy reality, of course it's time for Blade Runner to flicker again. Film lovers, get ready for another dream movie-and-music pairing. Get ready for synths, too. Vangelis' stunning score will echo as Scott's feature screens in at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, February 10, 2024 for Blade Runner Live — an event that premiered in London in 2019, made its way around the UK, then hit Japan earlier in 2023. This session will screen the Final Cut version of the movie. Wondering how it differs from the OG release, and also the House of Gucci, The Last Duel and Napoleon filmmaker's Director's Cut? First unveiled in 2007 for the feature's 25th anniversary, it's the only version that Scott truly had full artistic control over. Blade Runner's narrative, if you're new to the franchise — which also includes exceptional 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049 and recent animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus, with a new Blade Runner TV series also on the way — focuses on the one and only Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as cop Rick Deckard. His task: finding replicants, aka androids, which turns into quite the existential journey. It's almost impossible to name a movie or TV series in sci-fi that's popped up over the four decades since Blade Runner first arrived that hasn't owed Scott's film a massive debt — and any synthesiser-fuelled score that hasn't done the same with Vangelis.
Lean, mean and a Nazi-killing machine: that's Sisu and its handy-with-a-hunting-knife (and pickaxe) protagonist alike. This stunningly choreographed Finnish action film's title doesn't have a literal equivalent in English, but means stoic, tenacious, resolute, brave and gritty all in that four-letter term; again, both the movie and the man at its centre fit the description. Former soldier Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila, perhaps best-known internationally for 2010's Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale) has one aim. After he strikes gold and plenty of it in Lapland's far reaches, he's keen to cash in. For someone who has already lost everyone and everything to World War II, that requires transporting his haul; however, the year is 1944 and German troops still lurk even as the combat winds down. Accordingly, getting those gleaming nuggets from the wilderness to a bank means facing a greedy and unrelenting platoon led by Helldorf (Aksel Hennie, The Cloverfield Paradox), who can spy a payday and an exit strategy for himself. Before anything yellow shimmers, Nazi-filled tanks are sighted, a single shot is fired or a blow swung, Sisu explains its moniker as "a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination". Text on-screen also advises that "sisu manifests itself when all hope is lost." As a film, Sisu may as well be shorthand for John Wick meets Inglourious Basterds meets Django, the iconic 1966 spaghetti western that Quentin Tarantino riffed on with Django Unchained, too — plus all of that meets the work of legendary spaghetti western director Sergio Leone as well. The carnage is that balletic. The Nazi offings are that brutal, roguish and inventive. And valuing deeds over dialogue as a lone figure dispatches with nefarious forces against an unforgiving landscape, and no matter what they throw at him, is firmly the setup. "He is one mean motherfucker that you don't want to mess with," the Nazis are told of Sisu's one-man death squad after they cross paths, the Germans think that their numbers will win out, and Aatami swiftly and savagely shows their folly. Of course, Helldorf and his underlings don't heed that advice. They're heading to Norway, destroying villages and also transporting a wagon filled with Finnish women they've taken captive, such as the spirited Aino (Mimosa Willamo, Memory of Water) — and the nihilistic Helldorf is soon fixated on the gold at any cost. That's a bad choice for the Nazis but great news for audiences. Enter: minefields proving deadly and also coming in handy, oh-so-many limbs going flying, the most grisly way to breathe underwater that's possibly been seen in cinema, taking the battle onto boats and planes, and Aatami continually demonstrating why he's earned such a fierce reputation. The latter doesn't take kindly to Nazis, as no one should, nor to being attacked, having his gold stolen and, like Keanu Reeves' best character of late, seeing his dog threatened. Sisu writer/director Jalmari Helander also helmed dark festive action-comedy Rare Exports, giving seasonal flicks a memorably twisted spin. Then, although to much lesser success, he cast Samuel L Jackson (Secret Invasion) as a US President evading terrorists-slash-hunters in the woods in 2014's Big Game. Here, he knows which footsteps he's treading in — Mad Max: Fury Road also springs to mind in Sisu's staging, setting and elements of its story — and also how to make his film its own extravagantly bloody and entertaining spectacle. There's ticking boxes, and then there's colouring them in with your own hues and designs so that yes, they've been marked off but in your distinctive manner. Sisu works through everything that audiences think will happen, even winkingly signposting via named chapters splashed across the frame with western-esque font, and yet it's no mere exercise in lazily fulfilling a checklist. Helander is too willing to get as OTT and pulpy as he can manage, to get as immersed in the film's playfully and gruesomely engrossing violence as he's able to, and to keep one-upping the creative and downright novel kills at Aatami's hands. In every case, he's giddily going for broke — and frequently getting in close via cinematographer Kjell Lagerroos (another Memory of Water alum). Sisu casts its solo hero against a sprawling setting that's oppressive in its immenseness in classic western style. The colour palette is colder, though; the feature surrounds Aatami with visible, inescapable, ever-present and grey-tinged desolation, as reality dictates of war movies. Helander paints this intense, grim and devastating big picture, while also seeing the gore and dirt and sweat intimately and intricately. What would the John Wick franchise be without Reeves? Django without the great Franco Nero (who popped up in John Wick: Chapter 2) in his breakout role? A Fistful of Dollars and its sequels without Clint Eastwood (Cry Macho)? The question now: what would Sisu be without the irrepressible Tommila? Every single one of the films just mentioned boasts a sublime mix of perfectly chosen stars and directors doing their utmost — brothers-in-law Tommila and Helander among them. With so few words uttered, Tommila's physical performance has to convey everything. So, a stare screams with ferocity, a gaze at Aatami's dog bubbles with emotion and a twitch is never just a twitch. Watching silent protagonists dispensing with a constant onslaught of foes also gets audiences mirroring the characters, aka surveying the scene for even the slightest change or sign given that even the smallest details can alter so much. As villains get slain again and again — and Aatami keeps weathering what's blasted his way — Sisu unleashes its barrage with weight. That isn't only because the atrocities of the Second World War should never be forgotten. All those lingering views of messy and madcap carnage? They don't just notice Aatami's actions, but show what he goes through as he persists and subsists. This is a film about survival as much as it's about payback. It has stakes and makes them plain, even as it's as blatant a good-versus-evil movie as they come. It's grounded in the past, stripped down to bangs and smacks and crunches that pack a visceral and emotional punch (smashes and crashes, too, with meticulous sound design that makes every pop and snap echo), and pulled off with cartoonish flair. Sisu is many things, just like the term itself in its native Finland — and impossible to stop watching is one of them.
How does a stage production recreate Charles Darwin's famous voyage on the HMS Beagle, and do justice not only to the real-life tale of discovery, but the creatures the scientist came across? Dead Puppet Society's involvement in The Wider Earth might just give away the answer to that question. And we're not just talking about using shadows and felt to recreate everyday animals, either. From Saturday, February 5–Saturday, February 19 at The Princess Theatre, expect the delicate flutters of longhorn beetles and the slow lumbering of ancient tortoises to come alive on stage — and the naturalist's journey from the Andes through the Amazon to the Galapagos Islands as well. On the human side of things, expect a cast led by Tom Conroy as Charles Darwin to bring a piece of history back to life in a lively coming-of-age narrative. Plus, not only does The Wider Earth let a real-life quest play out with 30 custom-created puppets and eight actors — it also boasts a collaboration between two of Australia's leading musical creators, too. Singer-songwriter Lior and producer Tony Buchen have joined forces to ensure that the sounds of this adventure are as magical as the underlying story. And, this is the first time that The Wider Earth has played Brisbane since its world-premiere season back in 2016. Images: Guy Bell / Prudence Upton.
Whether or not you've ever splashed in its wave-filled waters or taken a selfie around its edge, where the pool borders the ocean — or even if you've simply seen images of it everywhere, including sometimes featuring Margot Robbie in Barbie mode — feeling the urge to plunge into Bondi Icebergs is a side effect of watching Ian Darling's The Pool. The yearning to take a dip in your nearest body of water also strikes. Equally radiating from the screen as the Sydney landmark receives a cinematic tribute: the sensation that just by viewing the latest documentary from the filmmaker behind The Final Quarter and Paul Kelly — Stories of Me, you've enjoyed the next best thing to hopping in. Everyone knows Bondi Icebergs, thanks to about as many photographs as there are grains of sand on Bondi Beach, or perhaps more. It's the most-snapped pool in the world, in fact, The Pool notes. Darling's film explores its allure beyond its scenic aesthetic, even if the movie is stunningly gorgeous to look at (how could it not be?) and perfectly set to a 60s-inspired soundtrack. This is a doco about community, and about why one has formed around the haven of blue at the southern end of Bondi Beach that's been welcoming in swimmers for almost a century. Some come to Icebergs to relax. Others come to train and compete. Some head along with friends and/or family. Others arrive solo, knowing that their fellow swimmers are their friends and family. Some do indeed fill their Instagram feeds with photos, and The Pool sees them. But the film spends its time largely observing the immense cross-section of folks who frequent Bondi Icebergs, from daily devotees to casual weekenders, newcomers to veterans, young to old, and lifeguards and swimming coaches to baristas as well, as they congregate, revel in the spectacular tidal pool's gifts no matter the weather and discover a place to belong in the process. That's how Darling overcame what might've been a challenge for other filmmakers: diving beneath the surface of a place that is so instantly recognisable, and for good reason. It's also how he's made a movie that is meditative to watch, mirroring what many of its interviewees say about the body of water. And, it's why The Pool has been getting the love flowing from audiences around the country — not just in Sydney, where it fittingly world-premiered at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival; which "was actually quite emotional, because three of the key characters had died in only the month or two beforehand, and this was the first time that a lot of the audience had seen them again," Darling tells Concrete Playground; not only among swimmers as well. "We've been doing a lot of the film festivals, and so just meeting people all over — after launching at Sydney Film Festival, we went over to CinefestOZ in Margaret River, and then Byron, Sunshine Coast, Adelaide Film Festival. Then we've been doing a few pre-cinema release screenings up at Noosa when the triathlon was on, and Brisbane and Gold Coast," the director notes when we chat in the lead up to the film's release nationwide. "What I'm especially pleased about is that we weren't sure whether it was such a Sydney-centric film that it wasn't going to speak to other audiences, but it it's been wonderful seeing that there are so many common themes in it that it's speaking to people not only all across Australia, but to swimmers and non-swimmers. Which I was surprised about. Coming out of COVID, people are still hurting and yearning for a community, and really putting a greater value on any community they're a part of. And so it's had a much more emotional response than we than we expected." "I was especially pleased at the screening over at the Orpheum, where a number of people came up — and a couple of ladies who were very emotional said 'we don't swim, but we're part of a book club. And we feel that you've spoken the same language in terms of what we do in our book club. And we value it even more, it's about community and it's about a shared language'," Darling continues. "I was asking them exactly what they mean. She said 'well, we talk about a book and we could see here people were just talking about swimming'. And the penny dropped, and it made me realise that's so much about what we look for in a community — whether it's a film festival where we're all talking the same language, or a book club, or even at a pool. It never ceases to amaze me how long people can talk about swimming. But it is a shared language, and everyone comes from all different walks of life and they have this common link." Where inspiration strikes as a filmmaker, the 'I need to make a movie about this' moment with Bondi Icebergs, his own first experience with the pool, choosing interviewees, finding the doco's ebb and flow, the importance of community, what Bondi Icebergs both says about and means to Sydney: we also spoke with Darling about all of the above. On Darling's First Bondi Icebergs Moment "I came up from Melbourne in the early 90s, and my wife and I were swimming in the middle of winter at the beach, and suddenly realised how many people were swimming — and coming from Melbourne, I'd never swim in winter. And I was thinking 'how long does this happen?'. I saw this building down the end — and I wasn't familiar with the Icebergs. And I always was intrigued by it. I actually thought that it was more of a private club. Actually, for the whole of that decade, I never went to it. When someone told me that it was a public pool in the early 2000s, I remember walking in and it just blew me away. I suddenly actually did feel like I was in a 60s film, and it was one of the most-beautiful places and pools I'd ever swum in. There are so many pools I've swum in and I don't have any recall, but I remember walking in and just feeling like I was in this time warp, and it was a very positive experience." On When the 'I Need to Make a Film About This' Moment Came with The Pool "I think it was post-lockdown, and I think when we have something taken away from us — we're social creatures and we all realised that that we do need a sense of community. Also having come out of The Final Quarter and The Department on child protection, I wanted to give myself permission to actually make a happy film and a feel-good film, and a film where people could just meditate and contemplate their own life. I was sitting down at Icebergs with a friend of mine, Marg Simpson-Lee, who's a swimmer. And I was saying 'I'm really looking for something which is a connected story about a community that is uplifting'. And she said 'well, what about here?'. And so it was right under my nose. The more I thought about it, I thought 'actually, it is going to give me a platform to tell these stories about community and connection'. So it was as simple as that. I wasn't sure what it meant. And it took us a while to get a sense of how to make it and why we, in the end, decided to make the pool the central character, and let all the other characters, almost like 30 sets of arms and legs, give us context of to what was in there. But I think I was ready myself as well — I think we often wear the hair shirt as documentary filmmakers, and I had to give myself permission to say 'actually, it's okay to make a film where we just actually sit back and think and observe and hopefully feel happy at the end of it'. So that was the the intent." On Digging Into What Makes the Most-Photographed Pool in the World Special Beyond Its Aesthetics "It's a good question, because I think with the notion of it being the most-photographed pool in the world, with that comes all the connotations of Instagram and body image, and all of that. And we almost wanted the film to be the antithesis of that. One of the things we weren't sure of was how people would feel when we were down there with cameras, because people are perhaps at their most vulnerable when they're just in their swimmers. And we were very aware and respectful of it. So we had signs up everywhere, and we made sure, our producers went around, that anyone who didn't want to be in the film could come and tell us, and we'd make sure that they weren't and absolutely honour that. On the first morning, about three people came up and I thought 'wow, this is going to be challenging over the course of the year'. And then over the the whole year, I think only one or two other people came up and said that they didn't want to be in it. So we gained the trust, but it also made me realise that the people down there were actually very comfortable in their own skin, and all different body shapes and all different, all different types. I think that is very different from the notion of it being the most-photographed pool in the world. It was a very grounded experience, and the pool jumps out as something very beautiful — but I think whenever we were there on weekends, we'd see people doing selfies and everything, and we wanted to reflect that in the film but also highlight that it wasn't the story we were telling." On the Process of Choosing Interviewees From the Bondi Icebergs Community "On the website, we did 100 full-length interviews — because we never wanted to make the film about the history of the club, but we thought 'well, let's grab a time capsule of history and get the full stories'. And from that, we got a lot of clues. It was almost like an audition. A lot of the characters jumped out, and the stories. We didn't want to make it a character-based film. We said 'let's make the pool the central character, but let's define them by themes'. So what we saw was the characters were around things like friendship and routine — there are a couple of friends that get there at 13 minutes to seven every morning, and that's a very important thing about commitment. And then there are stories around mental health and physical sickness and endurance, and volunteering and perseverance and fear. A number of the characters were fearful of the water and learning to swim. So it was more 'how do we represent all those themes?' rather than characters. And so the two went sort of hand in hand. We had so many people that unfortunately we couldn't fit in, more because they told the same story rather than not having a great story. And I think that was the thing, as I was saying before, very few people didn't want to be in it but we I think we upset a number of people who desperately wanted to be in it but didn't make the final cut." On the Film's Crew Swimming at Bondi Icebergs Themselves for 99 Days of the 100 Day-Shoot "I think it was an important part. So the only day we didn't swim was the one when the huge storms were there. And I think people at the start of any film are wary when these outsiders come in, and we just we started very gently, but right from the start, we got in. And we started in May when the water was getting really cold. I think that helped with the locals, when they saw that we were prepared to get in the cold water and that we actually swam ourselves, and that we could speak the same language. I've never really asked them, but I know we were always observed — and I think just in a quiet sort of way that that enabled us to get even closer to everyone. But also, I thought if we're making a film at a place like this, if we don't actually get in and enjoy ourselves — because when we were at the homeless shelter, that was a three-year film shoot and that was all hours of the night. And when we were there at three o'clock in the morning, I was thinking 'hmm, we're certainly earning our stripes as documentary filmmakers here'. So unashamedly, we thought if we're doing a fun film, let's enjoy it." On Making a Meditative Film to Match the Mindset That Bondi Icebergs Can Inspire "I think we had two intents. One, sometimes we'd jump into a scene of a storm or the word of the coach and everything — it's quite bracing when you jump in the cold water. But also, the meditative nature we thought was really important. I think we've forgotten sometimes just to sit when we're on top of a mountain, just to look out and not look at our phone. And I thought it's really important for us just to have a feeling of what it's like just to sit and look at the waves, and that it's actually okay to sort of — bored is not the word I'd want to use in a film, but it's actually okay to do nothing. So we have an unusually long opening-credit sequence, but we wanted to play the whole of the Cream song 'I Feel Free' and just get people into the rhythm. Sometimes, I certainly know at the theatre when I'm there, sometimes I go 'wow, ten minutes has gone and I haven't been concentrating'. It can take us a while to get into it, so we thought let's just try and set up the rhythm of the film so that audiences give themselves permission just to sit and get into that meditative state. It felt like it was in sync with the intent of when you're swimming, because we wanted to make it immersive. But also I think sometimes it is good to let audiences — and a number of them have said during those meditative sort of scenes, the swimming or a storm or the purple tumble turns scene, that that's where they're actually thinking about their own place in a community. Or they're yearning for it. And so people have been doing a lot of self-reflection during the film as well, and that's really pleasing, because that was the intent as well." On What Darling Learned About the Importance of Community From Making The Pool "I think it really is that sense that we all need to be a part of a community and we all need to find people that share a common language — and, as I say, it means we can talk for hours about swimming or films or whatever. That, as a community, we deeply have this yearning to connect. And when it's taken away from us, we really miss it. If we haven't got it, we're yearning for it. It's such an important part of — at a pool, our physical health, but I think the most important thing is around our mental health. And as time goes on, we've got to ensure that cinemas remain open as a shared experience and that pools remain open. So many pools are closing, and we're going to do a bit of a campaign to try to get every mayor and council to come to watch the film, and actually see the importance that a local pool has on a community. As I say, so much of it is just around that connection, a meeting point, the importance of being with others. And I think that was very much the intent of the film, just to show how we do have to keep working hard at creating these gathering points, because the health of the community is very much dependent on them." On What Bondi Icebergs Means to Sydney — and Says About It "It says 'look at me', which is one of the things that, coming from Melbourne, where there are different seasons and everything, Sydney seems to have one season and it's sort of saying 'look at me' — which can be positive, but also I can be cynical about it. So that's on the surface, but I think it also says 'have a look below the surface and you'll find something that's far more profound and grounded — and if you are looking for a community, you'll find people with a common language there;. At the outset, it's a shining beacon and a tourist destination. The amount of times we've heard people go 'oh, I've had that swim. It's been on my bucket list'. People like to go to Bondi Beach. They'd like to go to the Opera House. In Queensland they love to go to the Gold Coast or the Barrier Reef. As a destination for Australians, but also as tourists, I think it's very much an important part of — unashamedly Australia has a strong beach culture, and I think it reflects that as a piece of beach history." On Where Inspiration Strikes for a Filmmaker with Documentaries About Everything From Bondi Icebergs, Adam Goodes and Paul Kelly to Capitalism and the Welfare of Homeless Youth on His Resume "Because I've had so many films that have fallen over, answering this way, typically the films that have fallen over are ones where I haven't had a strong-enough contact or connection with the subject matter. I'm a pretty slow filmmaker, most of the film shoots have been at least a year, and we take a long time in the edit suite. And I think to go on that long journey, I have to have a real interest in it. So with this one, The Pool, swimming's my main physical activity. I'm not a member of Icebergs, but I like cold-water swimming, so that gave me clues. With Adam Goodes, I'm a huge AFL fan and I go out every week — and we were thinking before he retired, actually, because he was one of my favourite all-time footballers, of making a film on him in his twilight years. So it ended up being a very different one, but having been so aware of it and been in the crowds when he was being booed, and being there when he was celebrated, suddenly he retired and I thought 'wow, are we going to' — I was just confused — 'are we going to let history be rewritten?'. So it took a few years but it just never left me, I think because I'd had such an intimate relationship with watching him as a player. I hadn't met him at all until we spoke about the film, but he was certainly present. [caption id="attachment_715066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 29th September 2012, The Age Sport, Picture by Wayne Taylor[/caption] And then with Paul Kelly, I grew up in Melbourne — and in the 80s, just the Melbourne band scene was just extraordinary, and Paul Kelly spoke to me like no other sort of musician had. And again, I hadn't met him until we sought his approval, but he was my favourite musician — which can be dangerous, making films about your hero, as such. Then with the homeless, I'd spent a lot of time volunteering at this homeless shelter in Sydney and really got to know a number of the street kids, and just saw that homelessness was totally off the agenda, and felt it was really important to bring it back and try and put it into every home. We got a lot of philanthropic funding to present a report to the government. It's those sort of things, where I've had a connection and felt that I was in a place to be able to tell a story." The Pool opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, November 7, 2024.
It doesn't take a fool to figure we in Australia have a nasty habit of throwing out perfectly fine food for petty reasons. You can blame it on Pete and Manu for making us believe the flower is the only edible part of the zucchini, or the natural and overpowering fear of eating the brown bit of a banana. But in reality, we put more edible food in the trash than we do our tum and it's a something that needs to change. As part of the Human Rights Film Festival, the Brisbane Powerhouse will be screening Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story. In a Super Size Me-type gonzo documentary, Just Eat It follows Canadian food lovers Jen and Grant as they dive head first into the issues surrounding overconsumption and food wastage. By surviving solely on food waste for six months, they provide an entertaining and shocking look into how much food we throw away and how it effects our earth.
Whisked from her idyllic farm with the promise of a job cooking for a high-level government official, it is only when Hortense Laborie (Catherine Frot) gets to Paris that she learns the position will actually involve being the private chef for French president Francois Mitterand. She has a moment of faint surprise, but only a moment. The job offer is a bolt from the blue, but she knows she's up for it. Based on the true story of the first woman to be the president's chef, Haute Cuisine alternates between Hortense's time in the palace and a later spell as the inscrutable but beloved head chef on an Antarctic research station. In a clunky plot device at odds with the rest of the film's unhurried feel, an Australian journalist (Arly Jover, doing a deplorable accent) is making a documentary about the station and tries to unravel the enigma of Hortense, including why she left her high-profile role for such an unlikely and isolated outpost. Not unlike last year's similarly foodie-friendly Step Up to the Plate, Haute Cuisine is almost defiantly low-key, offering little in the way of revelation but instead opting for a detailed, quiet character study and a wealth of lovingly filmed food preparation scenes. Initially feeling isolated in her position, Hortense finds herself ill at ease in the rarified surrounds of the Elysse palace, all cavernous rooms and chilly stylishness. She is unsure of the tastes of who she is cooking for, is eyed suspiciously from the chefs in the much larger public kitchen and has running battles with bean-counting bureaucrats who can't understand the time and money she pours into sourcing the finest truffles and foie gras. Eventually she does meet Mitterand (played with sparkly eyed verve by Jean d'Ormesson, making his film debut at age 86) and the pair bond over the heartfelt, rustic food of his childhood. Working with the timid but capable sous chef Nicholas (Arthur Dupont) she becomes a favourite of the ageing president, only increasing the jealousy of her male counterparts. Haute Cuisine is a small story but it is an interesting historical vignette, and it is to the film's credit that it does not overstay its welcome a minute.
UPDATE, April 19, 20201 The Invisible Man is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. In the latest version of The Invisible Man, Universal unwraps the bandages from one of its iconic horror figures in an astute, unnerving and thrillingly contemporary fashion. But it almost didn't happen, with the studio originally pursuing completely different plans. Let's all take a moment to thank the cinema gods that Tom Cruise's stint as The Mummy didn't work out. If his time dallying with Egyptian spirits had been a success, we'd now be watching Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man instead. That's what Universal's 'dark universe' — aka the studio's modern-day remakes of its old 1930s monster movies — had in store. Then the 2017 version of The Mummy proved a flop, forcing the company to change course. Suddenly, Depp's slated film disappeared into thin air just like the imperceptible man he was supposed to play. So too did an Angelina Jolie and Javier Bardem-starring take on The Bride of Frankenstein. And that left Universal with a gap — which Australian writer/director and Saw co-creator Leigh Whannell fills grippingly and convincingly with his top-notch update of cinema's most famous see-through character. In the Upgrade filmmaker's hands, The Invisible Man has been through some significant changes since HG Wells' 1897 novel and James Whale's 1933 first film adaptation. In fact, this movie doesn't really tell the eponymous figure's story, but that of the woman terrorised by the unseen guy. After years of suffering through an abusive relationship with hotshot optics pioneer Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) works up the courage to leave him. Fleeing from his remote mansion in the middle of the night with the help of her sister (Harriet Dyer), she's petrified that he'll track her down and retaliate. But, as she hides out with a cop friend (Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter (Storm Reid), word arrives that Adrian has committed suicide — although when strange things start happening around Cecelia, she's convinced that he's still somehow messing with her. To not only make The Invisible Man today, but set it in today's world too, two areas needed to be addressed. The first is technology, recognising that turning a person invisible is far more plausible than it once was — and that being involved in someone's life without being physically present isn't just possible these days, but commonplace. The second is gender politics. Watching a man terrorise a woman sight unseen has very different connotations in the 21st century, as does the stalking and gaslighting that comes with it. Crucially, Whannell embraces the complexities of both areas in this thoroughly modern take on the tale, switching focus from villain to victim, and bolstering his narrative by pondering the underhanded capabilities of technology as well as the ongoing problem that is domestic violence. Accordingly, this slow-building version of The Invisible Man isn't an account of a scientist corrupted by his latest discovery, as seen in its predecessors. Rather, it's a portrait of a woman at the mercy of a man who'll do anything and use any means to get what he wants. The end result: psychological horror mixed with futuristic science-fiction and layered with a piercing societal statement, and it's as effective as it sounds. Of course, anyone who saw Upgrade will realise that this is the only interpretation of The Invisible Man that Whannell could've made. The Aussie filmmaker continues his fascination with body modification and tech-enabled surveillance, as well as his fondness for hyper-kinetic action, a pervasive mood of dread and tension, and a sparse, sleek look — plus his interrogation of the kind of society that, with not too many imaginative tweaks needed, we just might be headed for. Forgetting the terrible Insidious: Chapter 3, the only blip on his directorial resume to date, Whannell is swiftly establishing a reputation as a genre filmmaker with smarts, style and something to say — as well as the skill to combine all of the above into a thrilling, harrowing and engaging package. He also has canny casting instincts, with The Invisible Man as much Moss' movie as Whannell's. The Handmaid's Tale and Her Smell actor has had more than a little practice in this terrain of late — aka battling insidious enemies, navigating persecution, and devolving into distress, distrust and paranoia — and she draws upon that experience here. Indeed, watching someone face off against an unsighted foe can play as hokey or unintentionally comic, but not with Moss and her haunted yet determined stare taking centre stage. This definitely isn't the movie that Universal imagined when, high on dreams of building its own megastar-studded, monster-fuelled universe, the studio announced its now-defunct Depp-led project. That's something else to continue to thank the movie gods for — because no one needed Depp's usual daffy schtick wrapped in gauze, but cinema definitely does need Whannell's savvy, unsettling, spirited and refreshing The Invisible Man remake. Great horror movies have always reflected and responded to the times they're made in and, in the same vein as Jordan Peele's Get Out and Us, The Invisible Man helps lead the charge as the 21st century reaches its third decade. This is a socially conscious, savagely creepy, supremely clever reinterpretation of a classic scarefest that takes every part of that equation seriously. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLAJyugYEiY
Get ready rock fans, for the Arctic Monkeys will be returning to Australia and New Zealand next year. The British band will embark on their biggest down under tour to date this autumn for their latest album, AM. The album, which was released this past September, is the band's fifth consecutive number 1 in the UK and also debuted at the top spot in the ARIA Albums Chart. So, Aussie and Kiwi fans, get stoked because you'll soon have the chance to hear their awesome collection of new jams, including chart toppers such as 'R U Mine?' and 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' Original fans needn't worry, because the Monkeys never forget to pay tribute to their old school favourites. You'll probably still get your chance to belt out 'Fluorescent Adolescent's, "Oh the boy's a slag / The best you ever had / The best you ever had." Arctic Monkeys 2014 Tour Dates: Auckland: May 2, Vector Arena Wellington: TSB Arena Sydney: May 6, Entertainment Centre Brisbane: May, Entertainment Centre Melbourne: May 9, Rod Laver Arena Adelaide: May 10, AEC Theatre Perth: May 13, Perth Arena Tickets go on sale December 11 https://youtube.com/watch?v=6366dxFf-Os
By this stage, most of us have come to terms with the fact that jetting off to USA or Europe is a seriously long slog, made worse by unavoidable (sometimes long, always painful) stopovers. But that European or American trip could soon become a whole lot more bearable, with Qantas not only working towards launching direct flights between the east coast and both London and New York by 2022, but beginning to run trial journeys this year. In October, November and December, the airline will pilot three ultra long-haul research flights, using new Boeing 787-9s. The aircraft will simulate two routes that are at the heart of Qantas' proposed new non-stop plan, which is called Project Sunrise, flying from New York and London to Sydney. That New York trip will mark the first world's first flight by a commercial airline direct from the Big Apple to Sydney, while the London jaunt will be the second time such a journey has been made. The last time the latter happened was back in 1989, when Qantas made the trek on a Boeing 747-400 with just 23 people on board. Don't go packing your bags, though — the aim is to gather data about inflight passenger and crew health and wellbeing, with only around 40 people making the trip. They'll be comprised of crew and Qantas employees, and they'll be fitted with wearable technology devices to monitor their monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, physical movement and use of the entertainment system during the flights. The results will then be assessed by scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre. Pilots will also take part, working with Monash University researchers to record their melatonin levels before, during and after the flights, as well as their brain wave patterns and alertness — to help ascertain the best work and rest pattern when they're commanding those long-haul services. While spending nearly a day on one single plane is better than jumping on and off different vessels multiple times, it's not without its physical, mental and emotional toll — as anyone who has made the trip with Qantas from Perth to London knows, which is what makes this testing so important. Announcing the trial, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce explained that, "for customers, the key will be minimising jet lag and creating an environment where they are looking forward to a restful, enjoyable flight. For crew, it's about using scientific research to determine the best opportunities to promote alertness when they are on duty and maximise rest during their down time." Back in 2017, Qantas first revealed that it was exploring non-stop routes from Sydney — routes that would eclipse those direct flights between Perth and London, which launched in March 2018. Since then, the airline has been pursuing the idea enthusiastically, putting out a call for aircraft that can handle the trip and widening their plan to include departures to and from Brisbane as well. In numbers, the planes will need to be able to handle more than 19 hours in the air (around 20 hours and 20 minutes between Sydney and London, and 18-hours and seven minutes from Sydney to New York). The airline has done its homework, analysing a decade's worth of wind and weather data to confirm the lengthy routes are actually possible. Now it just needs the aircraft, with Airbus and Boeing both pitching vessels (A350 and 777X) that are capable of doing the job. Qantas is expected to announce their decision, including whether the whole project will progress to making commercial flights, by the end of December 2019. Right now, the world's longest direct flight clocks in at over 19 hours, with Singapore Airlines flying 15,322-kilometres along its Singapore-to-New York route. Previously, the journey from Doha and Auckland earned that honour, taking around 18 hours to travel 14,529 kilometres.
Remember when your mum told you that it's what's on the inside that counts? At the Australian Interior Design Awards, that's definitely the case. Returning for 2021, the country's premier interior design gongs reward excellence in hospitality, installation, residential, workplace, retail and public design, as well as residential decoration — and it has just revealed its lengthy (and obviously eye-catching) 2021 shortlist. A word of warning for those who like their interiors swish, plush, luxurious and stylish all round: you're going to want to live in or visit all of the places vying for this year's awards. Thankfully, with plenty of bars and restaurants in the running, the latter is definitely possible. In Sydney, in the hospitality field, the likes of Harbord Hotel, Ciccia Bella, Sydney Tower and Atomic Beer Project are among the spots vying for glory. Well, for a shiny prize and plenty of recognition to go with their shiny interiors, to be exact. Melbourne's Farmer's Daughters, Poodle Bar and Bistro, First Love Coffee, Hero at ACMI, Byrdi, Citizen Snack Bar and Next Hotel also rank among the places in the running, while Brisbane's Industry Beans and Ping Pong Thai Restaurant also made the cut. In South Australia, Never Never Distillery and Hotel Indigo join the places in contention. [caption id="attachment_803565" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] First Love, Rebecca Newman[/caption] The list goes on — both for bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels, with 33 places in contention in total, and throughout the awards' other categories. A whopping 190 places have made it through to this stage across all fields, which means that there is no shortage of strikingly deigned new, revamped and refurbished places demanding your attention around around the country. After the event went virtual in 2020 — handing out its gongs via a virtual broadcast — this year's winners will be announced in-person at a dinner the Hyatt Regency Sydney on Friday, September 3. For the full Australian Interior Design Awards 2021 shortlist, head to the AIDA website. Top image: Sydney Tower, Robert Walsh.
